rick sammon digital wedding photography secrets 2009
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Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Rick Sammon
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
ii
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-0-470-48109-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
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iii
About the Author
Rick Sammon (lower tandem jumper), falling to earth at 125 miles per hour, during one of the few
times that he was not photographing, writing a book, leading a workshop or giving a seminar.
Rick Sammon Rick Sammon has published 31 books, including his latest three: Rick Sammon’s Secrets to Digital
Photography, Face to Face and Exploring the Light—all published in 2008! His book, Flying
Flowers won the coveted Golden Light Award, and his book Hide and See Under the Sea won
the Ben Franklin Award.
Rick has photographed in nearly 100 different countries and gives more than two dozen
photography workshops and presentations around the world each year. He also hosts fi ve shows
on kelbytraining.com and writes for PCPhoto, Layers magazine and photo.net.
Nominated for the Photoshop Hall of Fame in 2008, Rick Sammon is considered one of today’s
top digital-imaging experts. He is well-known for being able to cut through Photoshop “speak”
to make it fun, easy and rewarding to work and play in the digital darkroom.
When asked about his photo specialty, Rick says, “My specialty is not specializing.”
You can catch Rick at Photoshop World, which he says is a “blast.” See www.ricksammon.com
for more information.
iv
v
CreditsAcquisitions EditorCourtney Allen Project EditorJenny Brown
Technical EditorAlan Hess
Copy EditorJenny Brown
Editorial ManagerRobyn Siesky
Business ManagerAmy Knies
Senior Marketing ManagerSandy Smith
Vice President and Executive Group PublisherRichard Swadley
Vice President and PublisherBarry Pruett
Book DesignerErik Powers
Media Development Project ManagerLaura Moss
Media Development Assistant Project ManagerJenny Swisher
vi
vii
AcknowledgmentsAs you saw on the cover, I get credit for writing this book. Sure, I put a ton of work into it, but the
truth is I had a lot of help—just like every author. It’s the same for all artists. Take Tom Cruise for
example. He gets top billing, but he has a slew of people—from make-up artists, lighting directors
and set designers to acting coaches and stylists—that make him look good.
So I thought I’d take this opportunity to thank the folks who helped put together this work, as
well as those who have helped me along the path to producing this book, which is my 32nd.
The guy who initially signed me up for this book is the same guy who made my Canon Digital
Rebel and Basic Lighting DVDs happen: Barry Pruett, Vice President at Wiley. Barry has a quality
that every author needs: faith in the author’s belief that someone actually wants to hear what (s)he
has to say!
Once I was signed up, Courtney Allen, a quite talented Acquisitions Editor at Wiley, took over the
project and helped me big time—with everything you see between the front and back covers. Not
an easy task…especially considering that the book was produced is just a few months.
More help was on the way! Alan Hess, my technical editor, also added his expertise. Thanks Alan!
I also want to thank Jenny Brown of Brown Ink for her excellent work as Copy Editor and Project
Editor, Erik Powers of Creative Powers for his phenomenal job at designing and producing the
book, and Mike Trent for his work on the front and back cover design. Thank you all for your
eagle eyes and artistic fl air – and for patience working with me!
Someone who has been helping me for 58 years also worked on this book. My dad, Robert M.
Sammon, Sr., who is 90, actually read each and every word, using his wordsmith skills to improve
my words! I could not have done it without you dad.
Two more Sammons get my heartfelt thanks: my wife, Susan, and son, Marco. For years, they both
supported my efforts and helped with the photographs. Thanks Susan and Marco for all your help
and love.
Julieanne Kost, Adobe Evangelist, gets a big thank you for inspiring me to get into Photoshop in
1999. Addy Roff at Adobe also gets my thanks. Addy has given me the opportunity to share my
Photoshop techniques at trade shows around the country.
Some friends at Apple Computers also helped me during the production of this book by
getting me up to speed with Aperture 2, the application I use most often to import and edit my
photographs. So, more thank you notes go to Don Henderson, Fritz Ogden and Kirk Paulson.
Other friends in the digital-imaging industry who have helped in one way or another include
David Leveen of MacSimply and Rickspixelmagic.com, Mike Wong and Craig Keudell of onOne
Software, Wes Pitts of Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto magazines, Ed Sanchez and Mike Slater
of Nik Software, Scott Kelby of Photoshop User magazine, and Chris Main of Layers magazine.
viii
Rick Booth, Steve Inglima, Peter Tvarkunas, Chuck Westfall and Rudy Winston of Canon USA have
been ardent supporters of my work and photography seminars … so have my friends at Canon
Professional Service (CPS). My hat is off to these folks, big time! The Canon digital SLRs, lenses
and accessories that I use have helped me capture the fi nest possible pictures for this book.
Kelly Mondora of FJ Westcott is a super friend for getting me the lighting gear I needed to take
many of the studio and on-location shots that appear in this book.
Jeff Cable of Lexar hooked me up with memory cards (4GB and 8GB because I shoot RAW fi les)
and card readers, and these were all well-used in taking pictures for this book.
Of course, all my photographer friends who sent me photographs and tips for the “Pros Share
Their Shooting Secrets” chapter get a warm thank you. Don’t miss a single tip there!
My photo workshop students were, and always are, a tremendous inspiration for me. Many showed
me new digital-darkroom techniques, some of which I used in this book. I fi nd an old Zen saying
to be true: “The teacher learns from the student.”
So thank you one and all. I could not have written this book without you!
ix
“If you want to sacrifi ce the admiration of many men
for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married”
-Katharine Hepburn
x
Rick Sammon’s Digital Photography Secrets
xi
Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................xvii
Sharing Secrets .............................................................................................................. xviii
The Learning Process ......................................................................................................xix
Basic People Photography Tips ..................................................................................... xx
Place the Subject Off Center ........................................................................................xxi
Master Studio-Style Lighting .......................................................................................xxii
Watch the Hands ........................................................................................................... xxiii
Work Close for an Intimate Portrait .........................................................................xxiv
Expose for the Highlights ............................................................................................. xxv
Envision the End-Result...............................................................................................xxvi
Make Pictures; Don’t Simply Take Pictures ...........................................................xxvii
Always Consider Digital Noise and ISO Setting ................................................ xxviii
Use—Don’t Overuse—the Disequilibrium Effect ..............................................xxix
The Camera Looks Both Ways ..................................................................................... xxx
People Photography Tidbits ........................................................................................xxxi
Make the Time ................................................................................................................xxxii
Part 1 - Rick’s Recipe ......................................................................................................................... 1
Know Your Gear .................................................................................................................. 2
See the Light ........................................................................................................................ 3
Get to Know the Bride ...................................................................................................... 4
Scout the Location............................................................................................................. 5
Point and Shoot in the Studio ....................................................................................... 6
Practice Studio Lighting with a Dummy ..................................................................... 7
Cover the Excitement at the Bride’s House ............................................................... 8
Don’t Miss the Key Ceremony Shots ............................................................................ 9
Don’t Forget the Details ................................................................................................. 10
Be Creative with Group Photographs .........................................................................11
Utilize Nice Natural Backgrounds .............................................................................. 12
Shoot from Creative Angles ...........................................................................................13
Learn Digital Darkroom Enhancements ................................................................... 14
Part 2: Lights, Camera, Computers…Action ............................................................................ 15
Digital SLR Choices ......................................................................................................... 16
Popular Zoom Lenses ...................................................................................................... 17
xii
Professional Portrait Lenses.......................................................................................... 18
Telephoto Zoom Lenses .................................................................................................. 19
Fish-Eye Lenses .................................................................................................................20
Dedicated Flash................................................................................................................. 21
Tiny Tripod .........................................................................................................................22
Apollo Speedlite Kits .......................................................................................................23
Basic Hot Light and Strobe Light Kits ......................................................................24
Scrims ................................................................................................................................... 25
Portable Backgrounds .....................................................................................................26
Diffuser Panels .................................................................................................................. 27
Refl ectors ............................................................................................................................28
My On-Location Light Controller and Tote ............................................................29
Home Computer System ................................................................................................30
Portable Computer System ............................................................................................ 31
Printing Your Own Work ................................................................................................ 32
Behind-the-Scenes with Diffusers and Refl ectors ................................................. 33
Part 3: The Studio Shoot ............................................................................................................... 35
Painting with Light .......................................................................................................... 36
Basic Three-Light System .............................................................................................. 37
Change the Color of the Background ....................................................................... 38
Take Three ........................................................................................................................... 39
Begin with the End in Mind .........................................................................................40
Experiment with Creative Poses .................................................................................. 41
Behind the Scenes: Painting with Light ....................................................................42
Behind the Scenes: Three-Light Set-Up .................................................................... 43
Don’t Forget the Fun! ......................................................................................................44
Part 4: Weekend Wedding Photographer ................................................................................ 45
Quick Tips
Shoot Candid and Formal Photographs....................................................................46
When Color is Preferred ................................................................................................47
Envision the Black-and-White Image .........................................................................48
Shooting Head Shots ......................................................................................................49
Get the Three-Quarters Shot .......................................................................................50
Brides Love the Full-Length Shot ................................................................................ 51
Get Good Color Indoors .............................................................................................52
Content
xiii
Choose the Best Background ....................................................................................... 53
Blur and Blowout the Background .............................................................................54
Consider the Bride’s Feelings ....................................................................................... 55
Before the Big Event
Hang Out ............................................................................................................................56
Hit the Ground Running ............................................................................................... 57
Join the Fun ........................................................................................................................58
Create a Mood ................................................................................................................... 59
Go for Rembrandt Lighting ..........................................................................................60
Capture that Beautiful Catch Light ........................................................................... 61
Make the Most of Mirrors ..............................................................................................62
Photograph What’s Important to the Bride ............................................................. 63
Here Doggie Doggie ........................................................................................................64
Create an Intimate Portrait ........................................................................................... 65
The Head-and-Shoulders Shot ....................................................................................66
The Wedding Ceremony
Getting the Standard Limo Shots ...............................................................................67
Master Fill Flash ................................................................................................................68
Direct Flash ........................................................................................................................69
Respect the Subjects and Situation ........................................................................... 70
Capture the Key Shots .................................................................................................... 71
Tell the Whole Story ........................................................................................................ 72
Look for Creative Angles ................................................................................................ 73
Don’t Overlook the Details ............................................................................................ 74
Frame Your Subjects ........................................................................................................ 75
Use the Disequilibrium Effect...................................................................................... 76
Master the Art of Walking Backward ..........................................................................77
Compress the Brightness Range ................................................................................. 78
Separate the Subjects......................................................................................................79
Outdoor Weddings ..........................................................................................................80
Take Advantage of the Situation .................................................................................. 81
Watch and Fix the Background ....................................................................................82
The Reception
Zoom-Lens Advantage .................................................................................................... 83
Before the Cake is Cut ....................................................................................................84
Combine Techniques ...................................................................................................... 85
Group Shots .......................................................................................................................86
Content
xiv
Getting a Good Flash Exposure ................................................................................... 87
Envision the End Result .................................................................................................88
Environmental Portraits .................................................................................................89
Don’t Forget the Kids ......................................................................................................90
Don’t Rush Off ................................................................................................................... 91
Partytime
Shoot a Sequence .............................................................................................................92
Working with Refl ectors ................................................................................................. 93
Using Fill Flash Creatively .............................................................................................94
Take Advantage of Lens Flare ........................................................................................ 95
Look for Pictures within Pictures ...............................................................................96
What is a Good Exposure? ............................................................................................97
Choose a Creative Background ................................................................................... 98
Indoor Fill Flash ................................................................................................................99
Fun Group vs. Posed Group Shots ........................................................................... 100
Capture Fleeting Moments .........................................................................................101
Creative Side Lighting ..................................................................................................102
Create a Private Moment .............................................................................................103
Bend the Rules ................................................................................................................104
Shooting at Night ...........................................................................................................105
Part 5: Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets .............................................................................107
Be Nice ...............................................................................................................................108
Go For It ............................................................................................................................109
It’s All About the Light .................................................................................................. 110
The Little Things Really Do Matter ...........................................................................111
Make Your Vision a Reality .......................................................................................... 112
Work Into the Night .......................................................................................................113
Master Low-Light Photography ...................................................................................114
Shoot with Your Heart ...................................................................................................115
Think Unconventionally................................................................................................116
Scout the Location..........................................................................................................117
Got IR? ................................................................................................................................118
Go Beyond the Clichés ..................................................................................................119
All Together Now ............................................................................................................120
Get Cinematic with HDR ............................................................................................. 121
Follow Your Heart and Have Fun ..............................................................................122
Carve Out Time ...............................................................................................................123
Content
xv
Part 6: The Woman’s Touch .......................................................................................................125
Be Cool, Calm and Collected ......................................................................................126
Persuade ............................................................................................................................127
With a Little Help From Friends ................................................................................128
Blend In .............................................................................................................................129
Be a Friend ........................................................................................................................ 130
Think Creatively .............................................................................................................. 131
Follow Your Instincts ..................................................................................................... 132
Part 7: The Creative Touch ......................................................................................................... 133
Anticipate the Moment ................................................................................................134
Focus on the Attendants, Too ..................................................................................... 135
Set Yourself Free ............................................................................................................. 136
Keep It Fresh .................................................................................................................... 137
Use Natural Light when it Feels Right .................................................................... 138
Eliminate Distractions .................................................................................................. 139
Bring Your Own Lights .................................................................................................140
Think Outside the Rectangle ..................................................................................... 141
Make Suggestions ...........................................................................................................142
Scan the Crowd ...............................................................................................................143
Work with Refl ections ...................................................................................................144
Do a Double Check ........................................................................................................145
Observe Body Language ...............................................................................................146
Part 8: Photoshop Must-Know Info .........................................................................................147
Never Work on the Original Image ..........................................................................148
Stop! ....................................................................................................................................149
Learn Camera RAW ........................................................................................................150
Understand Image Resolution ................................................................................... 151
Love those Layers ............................................................................................................152
Save It ................................................................................................................................. 153
Think and Work Selectively .........................................................................................154
Get to Know Options .................................................................................................... 155
Master All the Adjustments .........................................................................................156
Sharpen Last .................................................................................................................... 157
Don’t Overdo It ...............................................................................................................158
Expand Your Horizons with Plug-ins ....................................................................... 159
Content
xvi
Part 9: Photoshop Enhancements ............................................................................................. 161
RAW Rules .........................................................................................................................162
Save the Bridal Gown ....................................................................................................164
Draw More Attention to the Subject ........................................................................166
Change the Direction of the Light ...........................................................................168
Don’t Overlook Basic Enhancements ......................................................................170
Blur Reality for An Artistic Image .............................................................................172
Easy Selective Color Adjustments ............................................................................. 174
Save Time! Use the Image Processor ........................................................................176
Mix It Up ...........................................................................................................................178
Make the Bride Glow … More ...................................................................................180
Create the Disequilibrium Effect ..............................................................................182
Create Dramatic Shadows in the Studio .................................................................184
Soften Skin in an Instant .............................................................................................186
Blur the Background .....................................................................................................188
Dress Up your Web Site with Drop Shadows .........................................................190
Create a Thank You e-Card Template ......................................................................192
Create the Best Black-and-White Image Ever .......................................................194
Create a Beautiful Vignette .........................................................................................196
Add a Sense of Motion to a Still Image ...................................................................198
PhotoTools and PhotoFrame Totally Rock ............................................................. 200
Color Efex Pro Plug-In ................................................................................................. 202
Content
This book was a ton of fun for me to put together, even though I do not
specialize as a wedding photographer. If you have read my other books or
viewed my online WebTV shows, you know I don’t really claim a specialty;
I “specialize” in beautiful photography. Yet I am probably best-known for
travel photography—mostly for portraits of strangers in strange lands.
That said, I do have some focused experience with wedding photography.
From 1978 to 1980, I was the editor of Studio Photography magazine,
which was, at the time, the leading magazine for wedding and portrait
photographers. A cover of our special wedding issue opens this
introduction.
I was also the editor of PPA Daily, which was the daily newspaper of the
Professional Photographers of America’s annual trade show. At the PPA
shows, I attended many seminars on wedding and portrait photography.
Introduction
xviii
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Sharing SecretsWhile I was the editor of
Studio Photography, I had
the opportunity to interview
many wedding photographers
in their studios and learn
their secrets …. way back
then. Scavullo, Feininger,
Rothstein and Eisenstaedt
were among my favorite
interviews. Here’s a look at
the opening pages of those
interviews. The papers are
faded now, but the memories
of these luminaries are still
sharp in my mind.
During this time, I shot
weddings on weekends for
studios on Long Island, New
York, where I lived. For each
event, I tried to apply any new
tips and techniques I had
gathered from interviews and
other sources. And I realized
it takes time to fi gure out
how to apply new tricks to
specifi c situations and your
personal style.
Now, jumping forward almost
30 years, some of my fellow
Canon Explorers of Light
(www.usa.canon.com/dlc)
are among the top wedding photographers in this country. I have listened intently to their
presentations at trade shows while I waited for my own turn to take the stage.
I have been tuned into wedding photography for a long time, and I’ve stayed current on image-
based technology and techniques. I appreciate this opportunity to pass some ideas and techniques
on to you.
xix
Introduction
The Learning ProcessDuring the process of writing this book, I had the opportunity to talk to some of the top wedding
photographers in the country, who gladly shared their tips, techniques, secrets and photographs.
They did so to help you take better wedding photographs.
And it was a terrifi c experience for me as a professional, too. Through interacting with industry
experts, I also learned a lot and have applied some of their tips to my own work.
See, from a technical standpoint, photography is photography—no matter what occasion or
subject. Covering a wedding—and working with a bride and groom to capture their wedding
day in a way they love—is a unique specialty, but the technical aspects of photographing people
translate to other situations and venues as well.
Perhaps the most fun I had, which turned out to be the best learning experience as well, was a
one-day studio shoot I did with a model in New York City. Experimenting with different lighting
set-ups, backgrounds and poses gave me a close look at a “day in the life of a studio wedding
photographer.” You’ll see the pictures that came from this shoot later in this book. And hey, if I
could get some nice studio shots, having never worked in a studio before, you can too!
Check out these two images. On the right is a photograph taken during this studio session. On
the left is a photograph of my parents’ wedding (slightly faded), taken in 1947. To my point that
photography is photography no matter what the occasion, you can see that many aspects of
wedding photography have remained the same over the years. Both of these pictures have good
lighting, and they show the subjects in nice poses with a painted background.
So the good news for you is that you can apply the techniques in this book for many years to come.
xx
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Basic People Photography TipsWith all that in mind, I thought it would be fun—and helpful, since I’m sure your photographs
sometimes vary from wedding shoots—to compare some of my work with wedding photographs
I purchased from istockphoto.com. The intent was to fi nd out if the same technical photography
tips apply equally to both images.
Note: My photographs are either on the bottom or right side of each pair.
Indeed, as you’ll see, the tips offered in this book defi nitely apply to people photography in
general. For example, using the disequilibrium effect—created by tilting the camera down and to
the left or right—makes a photograph look a bit more creative than the standard eye-level shot.
I’ll go into this and other tips in more detail later. For now, they are here to help you jump-start
your photo learning.
Let’s go.
xxi
Introduction
Place the Subject Off CenterTake a look at these pictures.
Even though I am not there
beside you, I can guess at
your process for looking
at these images. You were
fi rst drawn to the subjects,
and then you began to look
around the frame to see
what else was happening
in the scene.
I know this because both
photographs show the
technique of placing the
subject off center. This
compels viewers to look
around the frame for other
interesting objects.
When you place your subject
dead center in the frame,
the viewer’s eyes get stuck
there. It’s why professional
photographers say, “Dead
center is deadly.”
xxii
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Master Studio-Style LightingSome brides and grooms like the photojournalist-type approach for their wedding album. This is
basically a style that requires a photographer to shoot what (s)he sees—without any set-up. Other
couples prefer the more formal, studio-type approach.
In talking with some married couples who chose the photojournalist style for their wedding, I’ve
heard them say they now have some regrets about not getting studio photographs, too.
As a wedding photographer, you need to be prepared to take studio shots. What’s more, you can
make extra income by adding studio photographs to your list of services.
You don’t need a fancy and expensive studio lighting set up to get nice quality photographs.
Westcott (www.fjwestcott.com), for example, sells hot light and strobe light kits—each with three
light sources—for under $500 and $800, respectively.
The photograph on the right was taken with a three-light set up that includes a main light, fi ll
light and background/ separation light.
xxiii
Introduction
Watch the HandsThe hands in both of these photographs take up less than 5% of the frame, yet they are important
to the overall success of the pictures.
You need to make sure your subject’s hands are well-positioned. Don’t be shy about providing
direction if his or her hands look awkward and need to be placed differently. If left unchecked,
gawky hand position can ruin an otherwise terrifi c photograph.
Yeah, I know this is a short tip—maybe even the shortest one in the book—but it’s defi nitely an
important one.
xxiv
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Work Close for an Intimate PortraitThe closer you are to your
subject, the more intimate the
portrait becomes. That’s why
many wedding photographers
like to use wide-angle to
medium-telephoto zoom lenses
and shoot relatively close to
subjects when possible.
Working close also lets you
identify with and relate better
to your subjects. So, get up
close and personal.
I have another tip that I’ll
include here, since I have
your attention … and space
on the page.
Watch the nose. When you
are photographing a subject
from the side, be sure that
you position his/ her nose
so that the cheek acts as a
background, as illustrated
in the top photograph. Or,
position the subject to get a
complete profi le of the nose, as
illustrated in my photograph.
If you don’t follow this advice,
then the tip of your subject’s
nose will probably look “funny,”
sticking out like a lobe from
the cheek.
xxv
Introduction
Expose for the HighlightsBack when I was the editor of Studio Photography magazine, I used to shoot slide fi lm. When
shooting slides, we had to expose for the highlights. If we did not, the highlights would be
overexposed, showing little or no detail. In those cases, the slides were tossed into the out-take pile.
When I shoot digital, I also expose for the highlights … even though in Camera RAW, I can rescue
up to one f-stop of overexposed highlights. In fact, this is what I had to do with the istockphoto.com
image you see on the left.
Conversely, in the image I shot (on the right), I exposed for the highlights, which saved me time in the
digital darkroom.
xxvi
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Envision the End-ResultAnsel Adams, the most
famous landscape
photographer of all time,
was known for, among other
things, envisioning the end
result. That is, he considered
all—and I mean all—the
factors that go into taking a
picture (including the f-stop,
shutter speed, exposure and
more) and enhancing it in
post processing.
I am big on envisioning the
end-result, and I talk a lot
about that in my workshops.
When I shot the photograph
here (bottom), I envisioned
a silhouette even though
I could actually see detail
in the backlit subject at
the time of shooting. This
is because our eyes see a
dynamic range of about 11
f-stops while cameras see only
fi ve or six.
To create the silhouette, I
set my camera on the Av
mode (automatic) and set my
exposure compensation to
–11/2. Had I used no
exposure compensation,
some of the detail in the
subject would be visible in
the image, and the silhouette
would be less dramatic.
xxvii
Introduction
Make Pictures; Don’t Simply Take PicturesAnyone can take pictures, but not
everyone takes the time to make
them. When we take a picture,
we simply point and shoot.
When we make a picture, we
carefully arrange subjects in a
scene—sometimes moving hair
out of the face or posing people
in a certain manner. We see the
light and use a refl ector, diffuser or
fl ash to help control it. We carefully
choose our camera angle, lens,
exposure mode, and the f-stop and
shutter speed combination.
To make my picture of two Himba
women in Namibia, I asked them to
stand on a log and look off into the
distance. As in the above photograph,
I positioned them so that their faces
were isolated from one another, with
no parts overlapping.
Take the time to make pictures
in addition to taking candid
photographs, and you’ll make
your clients happy.
xxviii
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Always Consider Digital Noise and ISO SettingBoth of the pictures you see here were taken in relatively low light and are clean! “Keeping it
clean” is actually one of my main goals when I take a photograph. And by clean, I mean the image
has very little digital noise. I get clean pictures by shooting at the lowest possible ISO setting for
a hand-held shot.
I also shoot with a top-of-the-line digital SLR camera, because top-of-the-line cameras have less
noise than entry-level and mid-range digital SLRs.
In situations that require me to use a high ISO, such as shooting in very low light, I sometimes use
the noise-reduction feature in my camera. Yet the process of this feature increases the time before
I can take another picture. If I can’t afford the wait, I reduce the noise in Adobe Camera RAW or
Apple Aperture.
When you reduce noise in post processing, reduce the chroma (color) noise fi rst and then
luminance noise. In both cases, try not to reduce the noise more than 30%. If you go beyond this,
your picture will start to lose sharpness.
Also note that noise shows up more in the shadow areas than in highlight areas.
By the way, in-camera noise-reduction features reduce only chroma noise.
xxix
Introduction
Use—Don’t Overuse—the Disequilibrium EffectBoth of these pictures illustrate what’s called the disequilibrium effect, which is created
when you tilt your camera down and to the left or right.
It’s a simple, fun and creative effect. Just don’t over use it.
Another tip here: Have fun with this technique!
xxx
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
The Camera Looks Both WaysWhen you photograph a person, you reveal an image of yourself. Your mood, energy and emotions
are refl ected in your subject’s face and eyes. This is what “the camera looks both ways” means.
This is actually my #1 tip when it comes to photographing people—whether your subject
is a beautiful bride in her home or church or a magnifi cent woman in the rainforest. Your
disposition matters.
So as a people photographer, keep this expression in mind … and don’t get bogged down with
camera settings. The technical stuff has to become automatic, so that you can concentrate on
getting a great personality portrait that you and your clients will love.
xxxi
Introduction
People Photography TidbitsThis is not a technical photography tip. Rather, it’s some interesting thoughts on photographing
people that were fi rst published in my previous Wiley book, Rick Sammon’s Digital Photography
Secrets. I share a condensed and modifi ed version with you here because the information offers
some perspective on photographing people.
Here goes.
Overhead Lighting: The majority of famous painters “illuminate” their subjects from above and
to the left. For whatever reasons, we seem to like that kind of lighting. Here are two pictures that
illustrate this lighting technique. Hey, if it works for famous painters and if it works for me, it
will work for you!
Open Pupils: Pictures of people with their pupils open wide are typically preferred over those
in which pupils are closed down. That’s one reason we like pictures of people taken in subdued
lighting conditions—in the shade and on cloudy days, when a person’s pupils are open wider than
they are in bright light and on sunny days.
Color Variation: We see colors differently at different times of the day, depending on our mood
and emotional state. Before you make a print, look at it on your monitor at different times of the
day to see if you still like your original version. You may want to tweak the color to get the look
you like best.
You can learn more facts about people pictures, and why we like them, in one of my favorite
books: Perception and Imaging by Dr. Richard Zakia. You’ll fi nd more info on seeing colors
at iLab (http://ilab.usc.edu).
xxxii
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Make the TimeHere is another non-technical tip. It’s
a philosophical tip about working as a
photographer—well, working in general.
I’ve told the following story at least a
thousand times since 1979. It illustrates
the point about wanting to do something
and then doing it.
While I was the editor of Studio
Photography, the cover featuring Jaclyn
Smith was my favorite. I thought she was
exceptionally beautiful and I liked the
photograph. My boss, Rudy Maschke,
knew that.
One day he came into my offi ce and asked
me to do something. I said, “Mr. Maschke,
I’m too busy. I’m sorry I can’t do it right now.”
He said, “Sammon, who do you think is the
most beautiful girl in the world … aside
from your wife, of course.”
I replied, “Jaclyn Smith.”
“Well, Sammon, if Jaclyn called you up right
now and asked you to have lunch
with her for 20 minutes, would you go?”
“Sure.”
He said, “Sammon, get to work.”
The point of this little story is that if you really want to do something, you’ll make the time and
you’ll do it well.
Keep that story in mind the next time you feel as though you don’t have the time to do something.
Here’s another thing I learned from Mr. Maschke: When there is not enough time to do something
right, there is usually enough time to do it over.
Here is another photo philosophy—well, actually a philosophy for life in general: If you love what
you do, you never have to work a day in your life!
Rick Sammon
Croton-on-Hudson
January 2009
New to digital wedding photography? Want to jumpstart your photo
learning? Yeah, well then this chapter is for you. It offers some basic
tips—time-proven techniques you can use to get a feel for weddings
and to develop an eye for photographing them.
Check out this chapter fi rst, and then move on to more detailed
information in the subsequent chapters.
Hey, I know you want to dive into all the cool techniques in this book,
but I fi gure some of you might want to start with some general tips on
being a wedding photographer fi rst. Start with the basics on how to go
about covering one of the most important days in a couple’s life.
These are just a few quick tips, illustrated with istockphoto.com
photographs. Let’s go!
Part 1
Rick’s Recipe
2
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Know Your GearFirst and foremost, you must know you gear—your cameras, lenses, fl ashes and so on—inside
and out before you show up to shoot a wedding. Since you’ll be shooting in a variety of lighting
conditions, indoors and out, you must be prepared for everything. No surprises. You also must
know your computer system and your digital image-editing programs … very well. You simply can’t
afford to miss, mess up or lose a shot. It’s a wedding!
3
Part 1 Rick’s Recipe
See the LightLight is the key component in every picture. No light, no picture. You need to look for shadows
and highlights, and know when to expose for each. You need to see the contrast range in a scene,
and you need to see the color and direction of the light. Keep an eye on the light, and you’ll get
pictures that will light up the hearts of your clients.
4
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Get to Know the BrideThe bride is the centerpiece
of a wedding day. In almost
every case, she is the one
for whom your pictures
are most important. Get to
know her. Know what she
likes and what she dislikes
photographically, and be
aware of the people and
things she holds especially
dear on her wedding day. Also
get to know her personality,
and try to capture it in your
photographs. Try to put
yourself in her shoes (well,
so to speak).
5
Part 1 Rick’s Recipe
Scout the LocationBefore the big day, spend
some time at the wedding
site looking for creative
angles. Look for potential
challenges as well as
opportunities. Take some
test shots indoors and out
and experiment with ISO,
white balance, etc. Follow
the motto of the Boy Scouts
of America: Be prepared.
Keep in mind that you
will not be able to move
around so freely during
the ceremony. Make a plan.
6
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Point and Shoot in the StudioWhen a bride and groom come
into your studio, they don’t
want to see you experimenting
with different lighting set-
ups. What’s more, they
don’t have the time for your
experimentation. Therefore,
you must know your lighting
set ups completely. When the
bride and groom get under
your lights, it should become
an exercise in point-and-shoot
photography.
7
Part 1 Rick’s Recipe
Practice Studio Lighting with a Dummy One easy and affordable method
for honing your lighting skills is
to practice with a mannequin.
When working with a dummy,
you can place lights in different
positions for different effects…
and without any threats of
charging you overtime.
Here you see, clockwise
from the top left, the
effect of using:
• one main light
• a main light with a
background light (set to
half power) and a hair light
• a main light with a
background light (set to
full power) and a hair light
• a main light and a light
behind the subject pointed
at the subject
As I mentioned on the previous
page, you can’t waste time
experimenting during a real
shoot. If you do, you may look
like a dummy.
8
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Cover the Excitement at the Bride’s HouseFor the bride and her friends (and often her parents if they are not too nervous), one of the most
enjoyable parts of the wedding day is before the ceremony, when the bride’s friends are gathered
at her home. Show up on time (not early and not late) and capture all the fun.
9
Part 1 Rick’s Recipe
Don’t Miss the Key Ceremony ShotsSure, be creative and take photographs that perhaps not every wedding photographer on
the planet would take. But don’t miss those all-important shots, especially the fi rst kiss. Make
a shot list with the bride and groom before the big day, so that no one is disappointed during
the photo-review session.
10
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Don’t Forget the DetailsOn the wedding day, it’s important for you to see the big picture, capturing all the fun and
excitement. But it’s also important to photograph the details, including the wedding ring(s),
table placards, wedding cake toppers, etc.
11
Part 1 Rick’s Recipe
Be Creative with Group PhotographsCheck out these two images. The top image shows creative posing in a nice setting. The bottom
image is a standard “get in line” shot. Before the wedding day, fi nd out how many people will be
in the group photos, and plan your shots—posing and location—accordingly.
12
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Utilize Nice Natural Backgrounds The background of a photograph is critical, so scout the locations in which you’ll be shooting
and look for interesting backgrounds. Remember to always look up, down and back.
13
Part 1 Rick’s Recipe
Shoot from Creative AnglesIf you want all your pictures to look the same, then take every one from a standing position …
and shoot only the bride and groom when they are standing up, too. Ho hum! Want something
different? Experiment with different poses and shooting angles; you’ll get a much more interesting
set of images. Important: Keep the comfort of your subject(s) in mind at all times. Don’t ask them
to do things they would not do naturally.
14
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Learn Digital Darkroom EnhancementsIf you want to be competitive with other wedding photographers in your area, then learn
Photoshop. Photoshop can not only save many a day by fi xing some of your mistakes, but it also
offers many creative enhancements that brides love! Don’t miss the Photoshop section of this book.
There’s an old saying, “Cameras don’t take pictures; people do.” It’s
true. However, you still need a good camera system, lighting gear,
photo accessories and a computer to not only take pictures, but
also to deliver photographs to your clients. In this chapter you’ll
fi nd my gear recommendations—from start to fi nish—for a serious
wedding photographer.
Part 2
Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
16
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Digital SLR Choices There are a lot of digital SLRs out there that can help you capture a wedding in fi ne detail.
However, not all Digital SLRs are created equal. Here are some things to consider when choosing
a system:
• Sensor Size: By choosing full-frame, you can take full advantage of wide-angle lenses. Going
with options that are smaller than full-frame means that your wide-angle lenses will record
a narrower fi eld of view.
• Accessories: Add-ons such as a battery pack/ grip (shown on the camera on the right) offers
increased battery power that can save you from missing shots due to a battery change.
• Frames per Second: Be sure that the system you choose gives you a high number of frames
per second (from 3 to 10, depending on the camera). This will help you avoid missing
important action shots, such as the bride and groom running out of the church.
• Maximum Number of Frames per Second and Burst Rate: Know how many frames you can
shoot before the camera “locks up” during the fi le-writing process.
• Maximum Flash-Synch Speed: Higher synch speeds are more advantageous for shooting
in bright-light situations and for outdoor fi ll-in fl ash photography.
Of course, other functions, such as the buffer size and speed of the memory card, along with
the fi le format being used, also affect performance.
17
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
Popular Zoom LensesFor photographers on a budget, zoom lenses are the way to go. You’ll need at least two lenses in
the following approximate zoom ranges: a 17-40mm zoom for wide-angle shots and a 24-105mm
zoom for portraits.
These versatile lenses are not as fast as fi xed focal-length lenses. They have a smaller maximum
aperture, which lets less light into the camera than faster lenses. Therefore, to get a good hand-
held shot in low-light conditions, you may need to boost your ISO, which increases digital noise,
or you may need to use a camera support.
Zoom lenses, however, are not only for the budget-minded photographer. They are also standard
lenses for many established pros.
That said, some argue that photographs taken with zoom lenses are not as sharp as those taken
with fi xed focal-length lenses. Technically, this may be true, but I sure can’t tell the difference
in the prints I make or in the images that are reproduced in my books and magazine articles.
18
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Professional Portrait LensesThe lens on the left, an 85mm f/1.2, and the lens on the right, a 50mm f/1.2, are must-have lenses
for the serious wedding photographer. Not only are they super sharp, but the fast apertures let
photographers use a relatively fast shutter speed in low-light conditions.
What’s more, when set at its widest aperture, the f/1.2 offers very little depth-of-fi eld when
shooting a subject close up. This renders the background very out of focus, which generates
a creative and popular effect among wedding photographers.
These lenses are costly. The 50mm lens runs about $1300, and the 85mm lens costs about $1700.
If you are on a tighter budget, consider a 60mm or a 50mm macro lens (center), which cost about
$400 each. Just keep in mind that these are less expensive because they’re not as fast.
19
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
Telephoto Zoom LensesYou may not need a telephoto zoom lens at a wedding, but it sure is nice to have in your gear
bag, especially when you can’t get close to a subject or when you want to blur the background.
Pictured here are two 70-200mm zoom lenses, which offer a popular zoom range for wedding
photographers. The lens on the left is an f/4 lens, and the lens on the right is an f/2.8.
You can see the difference in size. The weight of the f/2.8 lens is greater than that of the f/4 lens.
Size and weight are things to consider when building a lens system.
Both lenses offer image stabilization (IS), which reduces the effect of camera shake. The f/4 lens
is a little more affordable (at less than $1000) than the f/2.8 lens, which costs about $1200.
20
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Fish-Eye LensesYou may not use a fi sh-eye lens too often, but it’s nice to have one in your arsenal of accessories.
They are a bit pricy, costing about $1500. If you can’t afford one, renting it when needed is an option.
Pictured here are two types of fi sh-eye lenses. The lens on the left, a 14mm lens, lets you work in
very small areas without any distortion (bending of horizontal and vertical lines). The lens on the
right, a 15mm lens, also lets you work in small areas, but you’ll see horizontal and vertical lines
bend in your photographs. They’ll bend even more as you tilt your camera up and down, and this
can generate a nice, creative effect.
21
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
Dedicated FlashA fl ash is perhaps your most important accessory. Most pros use dedicated fl ash units, which are
fl ash units made by the camera’s manufacturer. This enables you to take advantage of all the fl ash’s
exposure capabilities.
When purchasing a fl ash, look for one with what’s called variable fl ash output. With this feature,
you can adjust the automatic fl ash output over and under the correct (or standard) setting. This
is especially important for daylight fi ll-in fl ash photography, which is covered later in this book.
You’ll also want a fl ash with a built-in diffuser (shown here over the fl ash head) and a pop-up white
card (shown in the popped-up position). Both devices help to soften and spread light for a more
natural-looking photograph.
A wireless transmitter, which mounts in a camera’s hot shoe, is a valuable fl ash accessory. It lets
you fi re a remote fl ash, or a set of fl ashes, for more professional-looking and creative photographs.
When choosing a fl ash, also check out its maximum fl ash range, the number of fl ashes per set of
batteries, and its synch speeds.
22
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Tiny Tripod Hey, I know you have a sturdy tripod for those low-light shots, indoors and out, but for low-level
shooting, a tiny tripod, such as this model from JOBY Gorillapod (www.joby.com) can come
in handy.
Later in this book, you’ll see some shots of an altar that were taken from a very low height. Those
types of shots often require a long shutter speed. So if your standard tripod can’t adjust to
shooting very low to the ground and you don’t want to lie on your belly in the aisle, you’ll miss
this type of creative shot without a tiny tripod.
The Gorillapod can also wrap around a branch or fence post for steady shooting outdoors.
It’s a fun accessory that can also save the day when the light level is low.
23
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
Apollo Speedlite KitsI know this is not a shot of a 2009 bride, but you could light a bride of today just as beautifully …
and just as simply. The lighting set up for this shot was easy. It’s a one-light shot that I took
in Venice, Italy.
You already have at least one accessory fl ash. Mount that inside an Apollo Speedlite Kit from
Westcott (www.fjwestcott.com) and you thereby increase the size of the light source and soften it
at the same time. Just unfold the diffuser panel (shown above) and secure it in place with Velcro.
For the photograph on the right, the Speedlite Kit was positioned about 10 feet from the subject
at a 45-degree angle. I triggered my Canon Speedlite 580EX with my Canon Wireless Transmitter
ST-E2.
Using a slow shutter speed, I was able to capture some of the available room light for a natural-
looking photograph.
Of course, you can use multiple Speedlite kits for even more creative lighting.
As with all lighting set ups, try positioning the lights at different distances from the subject
and at different heights to capture the shot you envision.
24
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Basic Hot Light and Strobe Light Kits If you are just starting out and on a small budget, there are affordable ways to create studio
lighting. There’s no need to spend big bucks on expensive studio lighting equipment.
The most economical route is a hot-light system, such as the one from Westcott (www.fjwestcott.
com) that’s pictured on the left. The hot lights provide a constant light source, and the umbrellas
diffuse the light for a soft and fl attering effect. Two lights, two umbrellas and a background/
separation light are included in this kit—all for under $700.
A step up from a hot-light kit is a strobe-light kit, such as the one pictured here on the right, also
from Westcott. Three lights are included: two fi ll lights that mount inside included soft boxes (for
a soft and fl attering effect) and a background/ separation light. This kit costs under $900.
These kits, which set up in minutes, come with a carrying case, so you can even take them to the
bride’s house for a few quick studio-type portraits.
25
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
ScrimsIf you have the space, and the time, scrims can help you create very professional-looking
photographs. As you can see in the picture on the right, a scrim is basically an extra-large diffuser,
somewhat like a large sheet. It’s used to soften and spread the light, whether it comes from a fl ash,
hot light or strobe that’s placed behind it. Scrims can also be used to soften natural light, such as
light coming through a window.
The result of using a Westcott Scrim Jim is shown on the left.
Photographs courtesy: Claude Jodoin
26
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Portable Backgrounds A background can make or break a photograph—any photograph. You can ensure that you’ll
have a good background (one that looks professional) on the wedding day by keeping a portable/
collapsible background in the trunk of your car.
Portable backgrounds, such as the one shown here by Westcott (www.fjwestcott.com) come in
all sizes, shapes and colors. Pack one (or two) with you on the wedding day, and you can create
studio-type portraits indoors and out.
In case you were wondering about that black cloth on the fl oor, I placed it there to eliminate the
refl ection of sunlight off the fl oor, which would have created unfl attering bottom light (also known
as Halloween light) on my face.
Photographs by Marco Sammon
27
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
Diffuser PanelsBrides love bright, sunny days. The camera, however, does not love the results of brides illuminated
by harsh sunlight, which casts unfl attering shadows on the face.
For professional photographers, that’s no problem. They usually ask an assistant, or even a guest,
to hold a collapsible diffuser between the sun and the subject to diffuse and soften the light.
This before-and-after pair of pictures illustrates the dramatic difference a diffuser can make.
Diffuser panels, available in different sizes, are often sold in kits along with refl ectors, which are
described on the next page.
The behind-the-scenes shot at the end of this chapter illustrates correct diffuser placement. I took
the shot indoors to illustrate diffuser placement, which is between the light source and subject.
I used one direct-light position above the subject to simulate the type of light that you’d naturally
encounter on a sunny day.
28
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Refl ectorsRefl ectors, which usually have a gold side and silver side, are used to bounce direct light onto
a subject’s face for a more fl attering effect. Refl ectors reduce the contrast range in a scene while
adding either a warm glow (gold side) or a cool glow (silver side) to the subject’s face.
Here you can see how holding a refl ector on the opposite side of a single harsh light source
(used here to simulate bright sunlight) beautifully fi lled in the harsh shadows on the bride’s face.
You can also use refl ectors inside, where you can bounce light onto the shaded part of a subject’s
face when (s)he’s standing by a door or window.
Refl ectors are typically sold in kits with diffusers. Westcott offers many models to fi t your needs.
There are other practical uses for diffusers and refl ectors, too. Use a diffuser to soften the light from
an accessory fl ash by positioning the diffuser between the fl ash and the subject. Use a refl ector to
increase the size of an accessory fl ash by bouncing the light from the fl ash into the refl ector.
The behind-the-scenes shot at the end of this chapter illustrates refl ector placement. As with the
diffuser example, I took the shot indoors to illustrate correct refl ector placement—opposite the
light source.
29
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
My On-Location Light Controller and ToteMy own refl ector/ diffuser kit is available for purchase; it’s called Rick Sammon’s On-Location
Light Controller and Tote. The kit also includes a fl ash diffuser, which softens the light from an
accessory fl ash for a more pleasing and natural-looking photograph. The handy tote carries it all
and comes with a fl ash, memory cards, extra batteries…and even a copy of this book!
I developed this kit to provide an affordable product that photographers could use to control the
light. It’s easy to do with a little know-how, and it often makes the difference between a snapshot
and a great shot.
30
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Home Computer System Your home computer system is a vital part of your wedding photography business. My advice is
to get a system that has as much RAM as you can afford. That way, when you are reviewing your
photographs side-by-side with your clients—and perhaps tweaking your images in Photoshop or
applying fi lters and special effects—your computer will be able to “think” fast. This will help you
show off your work at top speed.
I also suggest getting the largest monitor you can afford. This will make it easier for you and your
clients to view your work together—during the review process and for sales pitches to couples still
deciding on a photographer.
Of course, calibrating your monitor to show colors accurately is of key importance. Also be sure
to keep the light in the room constant, so that images on the monitor will always look their best.
Last but not least, always remember to back up your images—in at least two places—ASAP after
a wedding shoot. You just never know what can happen when working with hard drives!
31
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
Portable Computer SystemOn occasion, you may fi nd yourself working away from home. In those cases, you’ll need an
on-location computer system that’s complete with back-up drives.
My advice is to select your “keepers” offsite, but wait to edit your images with Photoshop until
you get back home. Although your portable monitor may be calibrated, the light in the room will
be different from the light in your studio’s digital darkroom or in your den at home. Thus, you
may be fooled into making mistakes in digital adjustments when you’re offsite.
As far as memory cards go, bring more than you think you’ll need—even if you have a portable
download device, such as the Epson P7000. It could crash. It’s a hard drive.
Keeping all your photographs on your memory cards until the end of the day is the safest way to go.
Just keep those precious cards in a safe place! They are worth much more than their weight in gold.
When traveling, take a back-up card reader and cable. Again, these devices have been known to
fail, and that’s something you simply must prepare for.
32
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Printing Your Own WorkWith today’s printers and pigment-based inks, it’s easy for you to make archival prints for your
customers. What’s more, you need prints for your offi ce or studio walls and for sample albums.
Most likely you’ll change these often as you get new and exciting images.
Having your own printer puts you in total and instant control of making prints. Just make sure
that your printer is calibrated and that you are using the correct ICC profi le for it. Using the
manufacturer’s ink and paper is also recommended.
You may have heard this photo joke: If you can’t make a good print, make a big one. It’s actually
not that far fetched. Bigger can, in some cases, look better. And you can sell a big print for more
than you can sell a small print.
When choosing a printer, you need one that makes at least a 13x19-inch print, such as the Canon
Pro 9000 shown on the right. For 24-inch wide prints, you’ll need something like the baby on the
left: my Canon iPF6100. Use roll paper in this printer to make a life-size image of a bride or groom.
33
Part 2 Lights, Cameras, Computers…Action!
Behind-the-Scenes with Diffusers and Refl ectorsHere are two snapshots that illustrate how to position a diffuser and a refl ector. The harsh studio
strobe, placed above the subject and to the left, was used to create the type of light you’ll fi nd on
a bright, sunny day.
The picture on the left shows Vered Kashlano, the studio’s owner (and a wonderful photographer
herself), holding a diffuser between the light source and our model, Stephanie Garcia (not an
actual bride, by the way). The diffuser panel is actually translucent—not the yellow color it
appears to be in the picture.
The picture on the right shows Vered holding a refl ector to bounce light onto the shaded side
of Stephanie’s face.
If you are fl ipping through this book backward, fl ip a few pages forward to see the end-result
images of all this hard work.
In case you are wondering about that thing sticking out of my camera’s hot shoe, it’s a wireless
transmitter that fi res the fl ashes.
34
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Part 3
You’ll fi nd a lot of candid pictures in this book; they seem to be the current
trend in photography. You’ll also fi nd some wonderfully posed images by
some of today’s top pros. However, you will not fi nd many studio shots, as
most brides and grooms are too busy for a studio shoot these days, or they
just prefer on-location photographs.
That said, it’s very likely that, in time, you will encounter wedding couples
who want studio shots. It’s important that you are able to provide them.
In this chapter, you’ll fi nd some basic studio lighting tips…for those occasions.
I took all these photographs in Vered Koshlano New York City studio. She
assisted with the photographs, but she is an excellent photographer herself.
Please check out her site: www.byvk.com.
And heads up: I could not resist! I had to mention and illustrate some Photoshop
enhancements, as they seemed to apply nicely to some of these images.
The Studio Shoot
36
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Painting with LightThis chapter begins with one of the most basic and affordable types of artifi cial lighting: a fl ashlight.
That’s right! You can create beautiful portraits by illuminating your subject with an inexpensive
fl ashlight. Basically, the technique is to “paint” the subject with light. I used a $5 fl ashlight to
create the picture on the left. Here’s the deal.
Set your subject in an almost completely dark room.
Mount your camera on a tripod. Set the ISO to 400 and the f-stop to f/8. Then select the
self-timer mode and be prepared to experiment with shutter speeds from fi ve to ten seconds
(depending on the brightness of your fl ashlight).
Ask your subject to hold perfectly still. Perrrrrrrrrrrfectly still!
Release the camera’s self-timer while the shutter is open and use the beam of the fl ashlight to
paint the subject with light.
You’ll have to practice this technique to get it just right. It will take you a few attempts to get
the correct exposure and the right amount of illumination on your subject.
The center picture on this page illustrates use of the Midnight Filter from Nik Software applied to
my original image. The picture on the right illustrates what happens when the fl ashlight is pointed
at the camera. Clearly, this is something you need to avoid.
See the end of this chapter for a behind-the-scenes look at this creative technique.
37
Part 3 The Studio Shoot
Basic Three-Light SystemYou don’t need a ton of lighting equipment to get professional-quality photographs in a studio—
whether it’s a full-time studio or a home studio. Here you see the results of using a basic, three-
strobe-light studio lighting system, which includes a main light, a fi ll light and a hair light.
Left: One strobe light, which is the main light, is placed in a soft box and positioned above the
subject’s eye level and at camera left.
Center: Same as above but with a second light—a fi ll light that’s set to half power to fi ll in the
shadows on the subject’s face—placed above the subject’s eye level and at camera right.
Right: Main light and fi ll light are set up as described for pictures on the left and in the center.
A third light, a hair light (set at one-quarter power), is placed behind the subject and off to
camera right. This slightly illuminates the subject from behind to add a slight glow to her hair
and veil. Look closely and you’ll see the subtle effect of the hair light.
See the end of this chapter for a behind-the-scenes look at this basic lighting set up.
38
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Change the Color of the Background Compare the color and intensity of the background in this picture to the background shown
on the previous page. It’s the same background. But here it looks golden and much brighter.
That’s because a background/ separation light (a fourth light) was placed behind the subject and
pointed toward the background. An orange gel was placed over the background light to change
the perceived color of the background from blue/ gray to bright sunset orange.
In the picture on the right, the background color is even more intense because I selectively
increased the saturation of the background in Photoshop.
If you don’t have a lot of different backgrounds, pick up a few gels (available from professional
camera stores) for your background light and change its color instantly—and affordably.
39
Part 3 The Studio Shoot
Take ThreeWhenever I photograph a person, in a studio or foreign country, I always take three shots:
a headshot, a three-quarters shot and a full-length shot. That way, I have three options to
choose my favorite image. In the case of a bride, she gets three pictures from which to choose.
On the top row you see my out-of-the-camera shots. They were changed to black-and-white
in Photoshop.
On the bottom row you see the effect of Photoshop’s Diffused Glow fi lter, which makes the images
look more artistic. What’s more, using that fi lter with the Clone Stamp tool helped me to “iron” the
bride’s gown and remove some of the wrinkles.
40
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Begin with the End in Mind As always, it’s important to envision the end result when you are photographing, whether you are
going for a straight shot or a Photoshop effect.
To get a sharp shot of a subject positioned in front of a painted background, be sure to carefully
adjust the lights to evenly illuminate both the subject and the background. For this shot, I
envisioned and tried to create a photograph in which the model would be sharper and brighter
than the background. I got that shot.
I also wanted to create an artistic image. And since I was not thrilled with the green tone of the
background, I used the Color Replacement tool in Photoshop to change it to blue. Then I used the
Vignette Blur fi lter in Color Efex Pro from Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) to blur the outer
edges of the frame.
Finally, as with the image on the previous page, I ironed the gown using the Clone Stamp tool.
41
Part 3 The Studio Shoot
Experiment with Creative PosesThe picture on the right shows a model in a standard pose. It’s an okay shot, but it’s not that creative.
The picture on the left shows a more imaginative pose. It was created by asking the model to
simply lean forward and position her head directly at the camera, and then look off camera
to her right so that more of the whites of her eyes show than in the picture on the right.
I used two Photoshop techniques for that photograph. The Vignette Blur effect that you saw on the
previous page is obvious. I also used the Dodge tool to brighten the whites of the model’s eyes—
to draw more attention to them. This is a standard technique of photo-retouching artists, and it’s
one you have seen many times on the covers of fashion and glamour magazines.
Check it out the next time you go though the checkout line at the supermarket. You’ll see that
the whites of the models’ eyes are almost as white as the paper on which the magazine is printed.
That’s Dodge.
42
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Behind the Scenes: Painting with Light Here you see me demonstrating the painting-with-light technique, using my trusty $5 fl ashlight.
As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, the idea is to paint your subject with the beam of a
fl ashlight, moving around to simulate the effect of using several lights.
The picture on the left illustrates something else: When working near a bride, make sure you don’t
step on her gown! Oops! Sorry!
Watch your step.
43
Part 3 The Studio Shoot
Behind the Scenes: Three-Light Set-UpEarlier in this chapter you saw the effect of using a three-light set-up. See that set up here.
On the left is the main light; on the right is the fi ll-light; and at the top right of the photograph
is the hair light.
All these lights have built-in modeling lights that illuminate the subject before the strobes
are fi red. These modeling lights help you position the light stands so you can avoid—
or create—shadows.
The modeling lights can also be used to create soft, continuous-light photographs—as illustrated
by the portrait of Stephanie you see here on the right. I applied Photoshop’s Diffuse Glow fi lter to
create an even softer effect.
44
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Don’t Forget the Fun!Simply put, the more fun you have during a shoot, the more fun your subjects will have. I like to
make photography fun.
In fact, I work hard at making photo sessions fun. I wear fun clothes, take fun shots, get in the
shots and take behind-the-scenes shots. Subjects really like these, because they can joke around
and be themselves without having the pressure of looking great!
If you keep it fun, you’ll end up with more “serious” pictures that your clients love.
My guess is that you’re not a full-time wedding photographer. Yet!
For those of you just starting out, the information in this chapter will
help you understand how to capture a wedding for brides and grooms
who want candid photographs.
These tips—illustrated with Canada-based photographer
Davide Greene’s work—prove that you don’t need fancy gear or
techniques to get the kind of shots you and your clients will love.
But you do need a positive attitude and a penchant for fun.
Weekend Wedding Photographer
Part 4
46 Quick Tips
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Shoot Candid and Formal PhotographsAs you can tell from the photographs in this section, Davide Green is not big on posed shots.
Neither are his clients. That’s because he mostly shoots like a photojournalist, capturing what
he sees without a lot of set up.
That said, Davide does take posed shots, as illustrated by the image on the left. But when he
has his choice, he sticks to shooting candid photographs. He believes they capture the real fun,
excitement and emotion of a wedding.
His advice is to learn how to shoot like a photojournalist as well as a portrait photographer. Watch
for artfully posed photographs throughout this book; they represent both types of photography.
Each style has an important role in wedding photography.
For candid photographs, you must think quickly. Your camera must be set up and ready to go.
There’s just no time to fuss with camera settings on the spot.
For portraits, you need to pay close attention to the light and, of course, the subject’s pose and
body motion.
In both situations, be sure to take more than a few shots. Vary your angle as well as the crop
and composition of the scene. And have fun! If you enjoy the process, your couple will, too.
Quick Tips
Quick Tips 47
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
When Color is PreferredThis is one of Davide’s most colorful images. As you’ll see throughout this section, Davide loves
black-and-white photographs. However, when color is a key component of a scene, it’s important
to show it.
To get good color, Davide suggests setting your white balance to the lighting conditions for the
scene …even if you shoot RAW. Of course, you can tweak the color of an image in Camera RAW,
but if you start out with the correct white-balance setting, you’ll have a better chance of getting
it right in camera. This will save you time in post processing.
If you shoot JPEGs, remember that when the image fi les come out of your camera, they will
already be sharpened with an increase in saturation and contrast. These factors can affect color
and detail. Also keep in mind that if you shoot JPEGs, you can open them and work with them in
Camera RAW if you have CS3 or CS4 or Canon’s Digital Photo Professional.
48 Quick Tips
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Envision the Black-and-White ImageThis is one of Davide’s favorite
black-and-white photographs.
If you have ever wondered why
black-and-white photography
is so captivating, consider this:
When you remove color from a
scene, you remove some of the
reality. And when you remove
some reality, your image becomes
more artistic.
Black-and-white photographs
convey a sense of lasting
importance. Wedding couples
like black-and-white images for
these same reasons.
Yet as much as Davide likes
black-and-white photography,
he shoots all his images in color.
This gives the bride and groom
options.
When you photograph, always
shoot with shades of gray in
mind, and try to pre-visualize
how a scene will look in black-
and-white.
What’s the best way to create a
black-and-white in Photoshop?
Check out the Photoshop section
of this book for some ideas.
Quick Tips 49
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Shooting Head ShotsThe most important portraits you’ll take on the wedding day are the bride’s headshot and her
head-and-shoulders shot.
Before you set out to photograph the bride, consider this philosophy: The closer you are to the
subject, the more intimate the photograph becomes. So, rather than using massive telephoto
lenses, try photographing with a 24-70 zoom at about a 70mm setting. This lets you work just
a few feet away from your subject.
Also try shooting at a wide aperture, f/2.8 to f/4.5, to throw the background out of focus.
This draws more attention to the subject.
Sometimes, shoot eye-to-eye, which is a time-proven tip in portraiture. But don’t neglect an
attempt at shooting above eye-level, as illustrated in the picture on the left. It will result in
a photograph with a creative angle and effect.
Usually, photographers like to light the eyes or have enough natural light illuminating the eyes
to get some catch light. This is illustrated in the photograph on the left. But, as you can see in the
photograph on the right, sometimes not seeing the eyes works. Even having the bride’s eyes closed
works, too…as if the bride is in deep thought.
The idea is to take enough pictures from enough angles to please your client with your results.
Here is another important tip for when you photograph a subject: Silence is Deadly. Throughout
the portrait session, constantly talk to your subjects; it keeps them from feeling self-conscious and
bored. Plus, when chatting, a person’s natural expressions show on his/ her face.
50 Quick Tips
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Get the Three-Quarters ShotThe main tip here, as funny as it may sound, is to try not to amputate your subjects at the knees or
ankles. Actually, it’s a good tip for other joints as well. You don’t want to amputate a subject at the
wrist or elbows either.
As long as there is space on this page for photo advice, here is another tip: When composing
a photograph, try not to place the subject dead center in the frame. Dead center is deadly.
When you place a subject off center, the viewer of your photograph will look around for other
interesting stuff in the scene. Therefore, this type of image holds attention a bit longer.
Quick Tips 51
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Brides Love the Full-Length ShotHey, the bride spent big bucks on that gown, and it’s important to her—from head to toe. And
what about all those new shoes that the bridesmaids bought for the special occasion? They are
important, too!
Don’t miss these shots.
And remember to carefully check the bottom of your viewfi nder, especially if you wear glasses,
to make sure that you get just what the wedding party ordered.
52 Quick Tips
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Get Good Color Indoors Good color is different from accurate color. Go for both when you photograph.
In the picture on the left, the couple looks a bit pink. This is a result of the pink spotlight that is
illuminating the dance fl oor. Sure, the color is not right if you are looking for 100% accurate skin
tones, but it was accurate for this situation. What’s more, the pink tone of the image helps
to capture the mood and feeling of the moment.
When shooting in situations like this, set your white balance to automatic; this will help you
navigate variable lighting conditions. You may also need to set your ISO high, sometimes as high
as 800. This will give you a shutter speed of around 1/125 of a second, which is fast enough
to hand hold the shot and blur subject movement while preventing a blurry picture caused by
camera shake.
A fl ash was used to take the picture on the left. As you can see, the skin tones look more natural.
The couple loved the shot, because it shows them clearly. However, the harsh fl ash takes away from
the mood of the setting.
When using a fl ash indoors (as well as outdoors), try to balance light from the fl ash to available
light. This helps to reduce shadows. See page 68 for more on this topic.
Quick Tips 53
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Choose the Best BackgroundOne of the greatest
challenges of wedding
photography is fi nding
a good background for
group photos. It’s why it’s
so important to scout the
location in advance.
The background must be
plain and simple, and large
enough to accommodate
the entire group.
Carefully choose … and
watch the background.
It will result in images
that show your subjects
standing out, as illustrated
in both of these
photographs.
If you do fi nd yourself in
a situation where the only
background is a busy scene,
use a telephoto lens set at a
wide aperture to throw the
background out of focus.
Just make sure that, in
doing so, you don’t throw
any of the subjects out of
focus, too.
54 Quick Tips
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Blur and Blowout the BackgroundYou’ve seen this technique in fashion and beauty magazines. It’s where the photographer uses a
telephoto lens set at a wide aperture to put a background out of focus. It’s an effective technique
for drawing interest to the subject.
You can make a photograph like this even more interesting and creative if the background is
overexposed. To do that, simply position your subjects in a darker area than the background,
and set your metering for the subjects.
Be careful when using this technique. It does not always work, because the background can
become so overexposed that it looks as though you made a mistake.
Quick Tips 55
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Consider the Bride’s FeelingsCheck out these two pictures. One is a formal shot and one is a candid photograph. Both capture
the mood and feeling of the bride, and this should always be a priority for you.
It’s essential that you are tuned in to how the bride is feeling throughout the wedding day. You
never want to intrude, and sometimes you need to back off.
After all, the bride is letting you into one of the most important days of her life. You have to honor
it as a privilege so she can be herself. And when she feels natural, she lets you capture genuine
feelings and emotions. This defi nitely comes through in photographs.
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
56 Before the Big Event
Hang OutOkay, so you got the job. You—and your clients—want to get the best pictures ever. How you
approach this isn’t necessarily obvious.
The technical stuff is the same from job to job; that’s relatively easy to master. The challenge is to
capture the personalities of the soon-to-be newlyweds and to thrill them with your pictures. In
addition to the obvious reason for this, you want them to gush about you to their friends and family.
To get familiar with the couple, if you can work it out, try to spend a few hours with them, hanging
out and taking snapshots—several weeks before the wedding. Take a few shots and show them to
the couple. Ask them what they like and don’t like about the pictures, and shoot them again. You
may fi nd that they prefer loosely cropped pictures over tightly cropped pictures, or vice versa, as
just one example.
This effort on your part shows the couple that you are interested in pleasing them, and it makes
the entire process more fun and interactive. It also helps a couple feel comfortable in your
presence, which improves the chances that they’ll relax in front of the camera on their wedding
day—and allow you to capture authentic moments.
When hanging out, try to shoot in lighting conditions that are similar to those you expect for the
wedding day. And be sure to build the session into your price.
Remember to give the couple these fun shots that precede the day they tie the knot.
Before the Big Event
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Before the Big Event 57
Hit the Ground RunningOn W-Day, you must hit the ground running—and not stop until the very end of the day. This
means you have to start documenting the day from the moment you are welcomed into the bride’s
house. That is not the time to fumble around with camera settings and gear.
Keep it simple and travel light. Many wedding shooters use a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens on one camera
body and a 50mm f/1.2 on a second camera. Both are typically strung over a shoulder so the
photographer is ready to shoot a variety of subjects in a range of lighting conditions. And many
use a zoom lens for most shots. They use the 50mm lens set at a wide aperture for low-light shots
and to blur the background.
For weddings, it’s generally a good idea to set your camera on the Av mode (aperture priority),
because depth-of-fi eld is so important for this type of setting. A general guideline is to have the
ISO set to 400, or even 800, so you can shoot hand-held pictures in natural light. Also, be sure
to set your fl ash for automatic exposures.
Of course, you also need your back-up gear—batteries, memory cards, etc.—in your camera bag,
but keep it simple.
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Join the FunThat’s photographer Davide
Greene next to the soon-to-
be bride. He took this shot
for fun, but the bride loved
it because it captures a fun
memory of an important
part of her special day.
When you join in the fun,
you become part of the
wedding “party,” rather
than isolating yourself as
a hired hand.
This is a hand-held shot
with no fl ash. Davide’s ISO
was set to 800, and he used
his 24-70mm lens set to
24mm to capture as much
of the scene as possible in
a small area. Keep in mind
that you may be working in
small spaces. Prepare for
shots like this by carrying
a wide-angle zoom or wide-
angle lens.
58 Before the Big Event
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Create a MoodThe bride in these photographs
loved these images, even though
we can’t see her face clearly in
either of them. It’s because the
back lighting created a mood.
Photography is all about light. It’s
light that makes a picture look
fl at or vibrant or moody. So it’s
important to learn how to see the
light. Look for the contrast in a
scene and consider the color and
direction and quality of the light.
The message here is that every
picture you take does not have to
show an evenly illuminated face.
Work with the light and play with
the light, and you’ll get creative
pictures. Also remember this
photo adage: Light illuminates;
shadows defi ne.
For these two shots, the
camera was set on Av (aperture
priority) without any exposure
compensation. Stopping down
(i.e., setting a small aperture)
in this type of situation would
have darkened the light coming
through the window for a
“correct” exposure. So sometimes
it’s good to break the rules.
That said, if you want to darken
the window here (which will also
darken the subject), stop down by
an f-stop or two.
Before the Big Event 59
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Go for Rembrandt LightingAll these photographs have something in common: Rembrandt lighting.
Rembrandt, the famous Dutch painter and printmaker, had a beautiful studio with a huge window
that cast exquisite light onto his subjects. He painted many subjects in that light, which generally
illuminated one side of their face, and the style has come to be known as Rembrandt lighting.
Wedding photographers use Rembrandt’s idea often. To do it, you fi rst need to fi nd a nice setting
with plenty of window light. Then you need to position the subject in a fl attering pose. Before you
take the shot, set your exposure compensation to –1/2 EV so the side of the bride’s face that is
facing the window is not overexposed. If it is, stop down even more.
When using this technique, check your histogram to make sure you don’t lose those all-important
highlights on the bride’s face. You’re due for overexposure if you see a spike on the right side of
the histogram.
60 Before the Big Event
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Capture that Beautiful Catch LightLook at this bride’s eyes,
and also those of the bride
in the Here Doggie Doggie
section on page 64. Then,
go to the trio of pictures on
the second-to-last page in
this chapter.
The eyes in all these
photographs have what’s
called catch light. It’s the
sparkle in a subject’s eyes.
The catch light here is
created by an open door,
while the catch light in
the other photographs is
created by a fl ash. You can
also create catch light with
a refl ector.
Hey, check out the picture
of a bride opening a door
earlier in this chapter
(p. 57). Yep! It’s the catch
light in her eyes that boosts
the energy and excitement
of the photograph. Look
for catch light or create
it often.
Before the Big Event 61
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Make the Most of Mirrors Sure, they’re a bit cliché, but mirror shots are winners when it comes to the kind of photographs
that sell. So make a point of scouting out mirrors as soon as you walk into the bride’s house.
Look for even lighting and nice settings. Look, too, for background and foreground elements that
might be distracting or could complement a photograph. Move around to fi nd the best possible
angle, because it may not be your fi rst choice. It’s usually worth the time it takes to explore
your options.
Oh yeah, one more important tip here. Make sure the mirror in your photograph is clean and
does not have any fi nger marks or smudges on it. If it does, wipe it clean before you shoot.
62 Before the Big Event
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Photograph What’s Important to the BrideMost brides envision their wedding photographs as they plan the event, and all certainly have
priorities. Find out what they are.
In the meantime, you can assume that shoes are important to a bride—and to the bridesmaids. So
take the time to photograph the shoes that each of these women carefully selected for this occasion,
and do it as thoughtfully as you photograph other important subjects on the wedding day.
No real technical photo tip here …just a philosophical one: Know the importance of
photographing what the bride likes. And since few of even the best photographers can
read minds, be sure to ask her what she likes before the event.
Before the Big Event 63
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Here Doggie DoggieMany brides have pets—often dogs … with “member of the family” status. So be sure to take at
least two shots that include Fido: one of the bride with her pet and a portrait.
When photographing pets, you need to watch out for pet eye. This is the animal equivalent of red
eye in people photography. You can reduce the pet-eye effect by holding or otherwise positioning
your fl ash off camera, as illustrated by the picture on the left. You could also shoot a natural-light
picture, like the photograph on the right.
Either way, just know that the pet picture will likely be a favorite of the bride.
64 Before the Big Event
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Create an Intimate PortraitWhen you photograph a person, the closer you are to him/ her, the more personal and intimate
the picture becomes. That’s why many wedding photographers like to shoot close to their subjects
when possible, often using a 24-70mm zoom or 50mm f/2.8 lens.
Similarly, if you shoot at eye level, viewers will relate more to your subject than if you shoot above
or below eye level.
Compare these two pictures. Considering the aforementioned points, you can see why the picture
on the right is more intimate than the picture on the left.
And getting back to the 50mm f/1.2 lens ... Wedding photographers love it for two reasons. The
fi rst: It lets you shoot in low light at shutter speeds that allow for hand-held photography without
requiring a dramatic ISO boost. Secondly, at the wide apertures, the background is blown out of
focus, which draws attention directly to the subject.
If you are serious about portraiture, get that lens—or another fast 50mm lens.
Before the Big Event 65
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
The Head-and-Shoulders Shot You can be as creative as you like on the wedding day, but make sure you go for the shot that the
groom is likely to cherish most: a head-and-shoulders shot of the bride. This is a photograph he
will keep in his wallet, frame for his desk or tape to the top of the lunchbox he takes to a job site.
Photograph the bride veiled and unveiled. Take natural-light images for a soft look (as shown in the
image on the right) and fl ash shots for super crisp images with enhanced sharpness, contrast and
color. Just remember to shoot close for an intimate portrait, as suggested on the previous page.
Show the bride a shot on your camera’s monitor from time to time to make sure she likes what she
is doing. Also be sure to talk to the bride during the photo session. It will help her feel—
and look—more relaxed and natural.
Finally, remember the adage: The camera looks both ways. This means that when you photograph
a person, you reveal an image of yourself. In other words, your mood, energy and emotions are
refl ected on your subject’s face. So, as a photographer, you function as a living mirror.
66 Before the Big Event
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Getting the Standard Limo ShotsOkay. So you’ve left the bride’s house and have arrived at the wedding site. Now all you have
to do is wait for the bride to arrive in her limo, so you can get the standard bride-in-limo shot.
You’ll use the same techniques for the bride-and-groom-in-limo shot after the wedding.
The bride arrives, and you have just a few seconds to get the shot—which you can’t miss because
it’s on your shot list. Here are several techniques you can use to capture that moment.
Have the bride lean as close as possible to the open door or window, so she is not hidden in the
shadows. Then, shoot tight to eliminate the outside of the car and the surrounding area, which is
much brighter and would be grossly overexposed when the exposure is set for the bride. Set the
exposure by zooming in on the bride, locking the exposure and then zooming out.
When working with an assistant, ask him or her hold a refl ector to bounce light onto the bride,
who is basically in the shade. Then, fi nally, use a fl ash for what’s called fi ll-fl ash photography. This
is discussed in more detail on the next page.
Be mindful of the bride’s time and ask her to “hold it” for just a few shots. Shoot quickly and then
get the heck out of her way.
The Wedding Ceremony
The Wedding Ceremony 67
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Master Fill FlashAll these photographs are fl ash
shots. However, they don’t have the
signature harsh shadows of typical
fl ash photographs, because light
from the fl ash is balanced with
available light.
Achieving this takes some preparation.
Before the wedding actually starts,
put your camera on manual-exposure
mode and set the exposure for
existing lighting conditions. Take a
shot and test your exposure. Then
turn on your fl ash and set it to TTL,
which stands for “through the lens”
(or automatic exposure).
Start by setting the exposure
compensation to –1 to avoid blasting
the subject with light. Then, if the
subject is too dark, increase the
exposure from the –1 setting; if the
subject is too light, decrease the
exposure from –1.
Now, that may sound like a lot of
work, but if you master this technique,
you can make the adjustments…well,
in a fl ash.
Another option is to set your camera
on the Av mode and your fl ash on
TTL—and hope for the best. You
may get some good shots, but the fi ll-fl ash technique will give you much more control over your
exposure.
When using this technique, you control the subject’s illumination with your f-stop and the
background illumination with your shutter speed—independently.
Note that a diffuser on the fl ash softens the light for an even more natural-looking picture.
Using a diffuser means you lose some of the fl ash’s power.
68 The Wedding Ceremony
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Direct FlashOn the previous page we talked about fi ll fl ash, and how, when properly adjusted, it eliminates
the harsh shadows associated with direct-fl ash photography. Well, pictured here is an example
of direct-fl ash shooting.
Moving on…
Did you know you can increase the fl ash range (distance) of your fl ash? It’s easy. As you increase
the ISO setting, you make the sensor more responsive to light, including the effective light from
your fl ash. Therefore, if the maximum range of your fl ash is, say, 20 feet at ISO 100, then boosting
the ISO to 200 or 400 will increase that fl ash range to maybe 30 or 40 feet.
Knowing that you can increase the fl ash range is also important when you are bouncing light from
the fl ash off a ceiling for more diffused light, as this increases the fl ash-to-subject distance.
The Wedding Ceremony 69
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Respect the Subjects and SituationBefore the service, always ask the
following questions of the wedding
offi ciator: May I use a fl ash? How
close can I get? And how can I
minimize disruptions?
You will fi nd that asking these
questions helps to build rapport
with the wedding offi ciator. It
also helps you plan shots and
remain as unobtrusive as possible.
Remember, the guests are there
to see the ceremony—not you
running around taking pictures.
Whenever possible, take natural-
light photographs. Boost your
ISO up so you can get hand-held
shots. Sure, in low light, out-of-
the-camera pictures may have a
bit of digital noise, but would you
rather have a picture with some
digital noise or a shaky shot? You
can always reduce the noise in the
digital darkroom, if so desired.
70 The Wedding Ceremony
Part 4 Weekend Wedding Photographer
Capture the Key ShotsEarlier, we talked about the importance of making a shot list, for yourself and the couple. Well,
during the wedding, you can’t miss the agreed-upon shots—two of which are always the exchange
of rings and the fi rst kiss.
Simply put, you have to get into position to get these shots. You also must have your camera set
up so that your work basically becomes point-and-shoot photography. There is just no time here
to experiment with camera settings.
Another thing to consider, at this and other important times during a wedding, is that you may be
competing with other photographers and videographers for the best shooting positions. Be aware
of your “competition” and get to the right spots fi rst.
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Tell the Whole StoryWhen you cover a wedding, try to “tell the whole story.” Keep that phrase in mind throughout the
event and you’ll end up with a collection of photographs that, indeed, tell the whole story of the
wedding day.
One technique for telling the whole story is to shoot both wide-angle and telephoto pictures
as well as close ups, as you have seen throughout this book.
Taking candid and posed photographs is another. Be sure to photograph from standard shooting
positions as well as from creative angles. You don’t want to end up with a bunch of pictures that
all look the same. That’s boring.
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Look for Creative AnglesBeginner photographers take most of their pictures while standing straight up. Ho Hum! Try to
vary your shooting positions and angles for pictures that not every photographer would take.
For the picture on the left, the camera was set on the fl oor, and the self-timer was activated to
get a shot that the bride and groom loved. They loved the architecture of the church, which is
why they selected it.
For the picture on the right, a zoom lens was set to a wide view and a wide f-stop (f/4.5 or
f/5.6) was selected. That produced an image in which the fl owers are in sharp focus while the
background is blurred.
You will be under a lot of pressure on the wedding day to get the standard shots, but think
creatively and you’ll get shots that really spice up a wedding album.
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Don’t Overlook the Details Here are some detail shots. These are not tight micro-type shots, but they do show some
important details of the wedding: hands, ring, fl owers and the wedding ring.
The point here is that you can focus on capturing the details even when you are shooting with
a wide-angle lens or with your zoom set to a wide-angle.
When you shoot a wedding, try to envision how a movie director would cover the event.
This would include cutting to close-ups like the scenes you see here.
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Frame Your SubjectsWe see the world in three dimensions: height, width and depth. Cameras see only two: height and
width. Therefore, part of a photographer’s job is to create a sense of depth in the pictures (s)he
creates.
Framing the subjects can do that. In the picture on the left, the bride and her father are framed
with a glass door. On the right, the bride and groom are framed with the pews and ceiling lights.
Shadows also create a sense of depth in a picture, as do foreground elements. Take advantage of
them whenever possible.
When you shoot, try to see in three dimensions to create a picture with spatial depth. Sure, it is
not always possible, but thinking that way helps you avoid an album full of fl at pictures.
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Use the Disequilibrium Effect Two simple techniques for making
a picture more interesting are 1)
placing the subject off center, and 2)
tilting your camera down to the
left or right for what’s called the
disequilibrium effect.
Placing the subject off center makes
for an interesting picture because the
viewer looks for other components in
the scene. Similarly, tilting the camera
sets the viewer’s visual balance off
center and encourages him or her
to examine the image
more closely.
Like all techniques, if you overuse
these, your pictures will look the
same. It’s a good idea to use several
techniques for key shots and then let
the couple choose which version
they like best.
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Master the Art of Walking BackwardThis is not a photography technique tip. Rather, it’s important advice about being
a wedding photographer.
In addition to all the other things you must master, it’s important to master the art of walking
(sometimes running) backward, especially as the bride or the bride and groom walk toward you.
You can practice this technique, with your camera in hand, in your house and in your driveway.
On site, from time to time, you must remember to look behind you to make sure you do not bump
into someone, knock into a pew or worse.
Working with an assistant makes the art of working backward easier. (S)he can walk behind you
with a hand on your shoulder to guide you along.
Master this ancient art form (ha ha) and you will not miss shots like this.
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Compress the Brightness RangeOur eyes can see a dynamic range of about 11 f-stops. Our digital SLR sees fi ve or six. Therefore,
in many situations we need to compress that brightness range to avoid a picture with overexposed
highlights or blocked-up shadows, which show little or no detail. Controlling light also helps you
avoid spending a lot of time in the digital darkroom trying to salvage an important picture.
Noticing and then controlling the light as much as possible is an important part of being a
wedding photographer—and a photographer in general. You can reduce the dynamic range
(the contrast range) by using a refl ector, a diffuser or a fl ash … or by positioning the subjects in
the shade.
In camera, a good way to avoid poor exposure is to check your histogram, which you should do
religiously. When you see a spike on the right, it means your highlights will be washed out; when
you see a spike on the left, it means your shadows will be blocked up. In both cases, you can
quickly and easily adjust your exposure with the +/– exposure control.
If, however, you end up with overexposed highlights and underexposed shadows, you can try
fi xing it in the digital darkroom with the Shadow/ Highlight adjustment. This tool is available
in Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture.
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Separate the SubjectsEarlier in this chapter we
talked about seeing the
world in three dimensions.
That’s especially important
when photographing groups.
Because pictures are fl at,
lacking real depth, we need
to separate subjects so they
don’t blend together.
The top picture has an added
sense of depth and separation
because the groom is closer,
by about six feet, to the
camera than his friend in
the middle. Note that for the
top shot you must use an
aperture that gets not only
the groom in focus, but also
his groomsmen. A lot has
been said of using f/1.4 or
f/2.8, and while those are
great settings for creating
separation by blurring the
background, used here they
will result in a groom in focus
with four blurry friends.
In the bottom photograph,
there is enough separation
between the subjects’
heads that they all stand
out prominently. This
underscores the importance
of positioning your
subjects well.
Don’t overlook the
importance of thinking and
seeing in 3D. It’s why it’s
mentioned here more than
once…wink.
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Outdoor WeddingsPray. That’s my best advice for covering an outdoor wedding.
For what am I praying, you might ask. Good weather, of course!
Good wedding weather, as far as most wedding photographers are concerned, is a slightly overcast
sky during the ceremony and reception. When the sky is overcast, the light is perfect for people
pictures, because the light is diffused. In this situation, you don’t have to worry about harsh
shadows from direct sunlight ruining your pictures. This also means you don’t need to use a fl ash,
refl ectors and/ or diffusers to reduce the contrast range we addressed a few pages back.
If your overcast-sky pictures look a bit fl at, you can easily enhance them in the digital darkroom
by boosting the contrast and increasing the color saturation. Here is a neat trick to brighten dull
photographs: Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) has a cool plug-in called Color Efex Pro that
features a sunshine fi lter. This does a nice job of brightening fl at pictures.
As long as you are praying (or at least hoping) for good weather, include a request for the sky to
clear up so you can shoot a spectacular sunset. There is no better way to end a wedding album
than with a photograph of the bride and groom silhouetted at sunset.
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Take Advantage of the SituationHey, shooting on an overcast
day is nice; but when it rains,
that’s a different story. You
can actually take advantage of
the situation though and use
umbrellas as props for fun shots,
as illustrated by these pictures.
When a subject is under
an umbrella, (s)he is darker
than the surrounding area.
Therefore, you usually need to
use a fl ash for what’s called fi ll-
fl ash photography, as illustrated
in the top picture. Otherwise,
you may want to increase the
exposure by half an f-stop, as
shown in the bottom picture.
If you forget to use these
techniques, try using
Photoshop’s Shadows/
Highlights tool (which lets
you adjust the shadows and
highlights independently) in
the digital darkroom to open
the shadow areas. It works quite
well if the subjects are not
underexposed by more than
an f-stop.
Whatever technique you use,
keep in mind that you, and your
clients, usually want to see faces
in a photograph.
As far as your camera is concerned, you must protect it from the elements. Rain covers are
available in camera stores, and they will protect your camera while still offering full access
to its control and function.
One more thing: Rain is actually considered good luck on a wedding day…or so they say.
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Watch and Fix the BackgroundCheck out the bottom
photograph. It looks as though
the groom has horns growing
out of his head. Davide took
this shot to illustrate the
importance of watching
the background.
Simply put, the background can
make or break a photograph.
That’s why it’s important pay
special attention to background
elements. Sometimes, avoiding
bad background elements
is impossible. That’s where
Photoshop Clone Stamp
comes in; it enables you to
remove those bad background
elements, as illustrated in the
top photograph.
In camera, you can reduce
or eliminate bad background
elements by using a telephoto
lens set at a wide aperture to
blur the background.
Speaking of the background:
Be especially mindful of it
at the reception. “Uncle
Buddy”—standing in the
background after having a few
too many drinks with his shirt
open—could ruin a beautiful
shot of the bride and groom’s
fi rst dance.
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Zoom-Lens AdvantageFlexibility. That is the name of the game when it comes to wedding photography. You must be
fl exible when it comes to just about every part of it—including how close you get to the subjects
and how much … or how little … of the frame you fi ll.
Zoom lenses give you fl exibility. Zoom with your feet … and you become even more fl exible!
A versatile zoom lens for wedding photography is the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens. In addition to
helping you get everything from headshots to full-length shots, it’s super sharp and relatively fast
(so you can take hand-held natural-light photographs in relatively low-light conditions).
Another versatile zoom is the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. It lets you get close shots even when
the camera-to-subject distance is too great for a 24-70mm lens.
The Reception
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Before the Cake is CutWedding cakes are an important part of the wedding tradition, and they’re an important part of
wedding photographs. They may not make it into the fi nal wedding album, but it’s a sure bet that
the bride and groom (okay, at least the bride) wants the shot.
Fortunately, these are easy shots to take and they’re appropriate for some of the lighting and
composing techniques previously discussed. One thing to keep in mind is that you want accurate
color in your wedding cake photographs, as opposed to nice color. Therefore, set your white
balance to existing lighting conditions before you take these shots.
And be sure to photograph the cake from different angles so that you please the bride.
The main tip here, from a non-photographic standpoint, is to get the shots before the cake
is cut. It’s actually one of the fi rst shots you should take when you arrive at the reception.
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Combining TechniquesWedding photography, as with all types of photography, is most successful when several techniques
are used to create a pleasing array of pictures. The techniques we’ve described include balancing
light from the fl ash to available light, positioning subjects with adequate separation, using the
disequilibrium effect, lighting a subject’s face, considering the background and capturing a
special moment.
If you had to refer to a checklist of all these techniques before you click, you’d miss the shot.
I like this next analogy about how a good photographer combines techniques: “Being a good
photographer is like being a good jazz musician. The jazz player does not think about what note
he just played, what note he is playing and what note he’ll play next; he just does it. He feels it.
The same is true for a good photographer. It just has to happen naturally. That’s when the true
magic of photography happens—when it’s not work and becomes fun.”
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Group Shots The reception is a great
time and place to take group
photographs. But plan ahead
and “warn” the wedding
party—which usually can’t wait
to start the party, especially
if it’s cocktail hour—that you
want to take some pictures at
the reception site soon upon
arrival. That way, you’ll get a
nice formal group shot like the
top photograph here.
Sometime during the reception,
ask to take the shot again …
maybe with a smaller or larger
group. This shot will capture
some of the fun the bride and
groom and their guests have at
the reception.
From a technical standpoint,
this pair of photographs
illustrates two different fl ash
techniques. For the top
photograph, light from the fl ash
was bounced off the ceiling for
soft, fl attering lighting. For the
bottom photograph, direct fl ash
was used. Whenever possible, go
for softer illumination of people.
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Getting a Good Flash ExposureNo matter how much fun you are having at the reception (because most of the pressure is off at
this point), it’s still important to get the best possible in-camera fl ash exposures. To do this, you
must know how a fl ash works.
Basically, when a fl ash fi res, light travels to the subject and then bounces back through the lens
and onto the image sensor. This is how through-the-lens fl ash metering came to be named.
So if a subject does not fi ll the frame, as in these two examples, light from the fl ash may travel past
him/ her and attempt to illuminate the background, which may result in an overexposed subject.
If this happens, simply reduce the fl ash exposure (either on the fl ash or in camera) until you get
a good exposure.
Some cameras let you lock the fl ash to the focus point. And that sure makes things easy when
it comes to on-the-move fl ash photography. So if you are looking for a new camera for wedding
photography work, fi nd one with that feature.
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Envision the End ResultWhen you see a potential photograph, ask yourself a question: What do I like about the scene and
what don’t I like? This will help you think like a painter. Let me explain.
A painter looks at a scene and considers its translation to a blank canvass. (S)he decides what
elements to include and what to omit in the painting. On the other hand, a photographer looks
at a scene, but does not always have the luxury of excluding elements that are distracting or awkward.
Sometimes, of course, changing positions or using a long lens set to a wide aperture can blur the
background and help create an appealing artistic image, but sometimes photographers have no
choice other than to shoot what’s actually in front of them.
That’s where Photoshop and other digital image-editing programs come in. In the Photoshop
section of this book, you’ll fi nd examples of how to blur a distracting background. You’ll also see
how effective it can be to crop out unwanted elements in a scene.
When you shoot, always keep in mind the end result and remember how quickly and easily
a photograph can be improved, as shown in this cropped picture.
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Environmental PortraitsBasically, there are two types of portraits:
headshots, which show the subject
cropped tight, and environmental portraits,
which show the subject in context of
a full setting.
Most wedding couples prefer the close-
up type of portrait, but it’s a good idea
to take environmental portraits, too, like
the one you see here. They add variety
to the wedding album. What’s more,
environmental portraits have a greater
sense of place than a tight headshot, which
could have been taken in a studio, at the
reception or on a cruise ship.
For environmental portraits, you want to
use a wide-angle lens set at a relatively
small f-stop so that most of the scene is
in sharp focus.
Speaking of focus, one technique for
focusing an environmental shot is to use
a wide-angle lens, select a small f-stop, set
the focus one-third into the scene, lock the
focus with your camera’s focus lock, and
then reposition and shoot.
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Don’t Forget the KidsThese are two fun shots of kids at weddings.
To get shots like these, make sure your camera is all set for a good exposure and then get down
to their level, seeing the kids eye-to-eye. Say something funny or tell a joke…and shoot fast.
If you miss the shot on the fi rst or second take, move on and return later for another quick shoot.
Don’t overstay your welcome on a fi rst encounter, or else the kids may begin to feel self-conscious
and won’t cooperate (which I can totally understand, being a kid at heart myself).
Here, too, zoom lens offers the advantage of quick framing for on-the-go photography.
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Don’t Rush OffHey, it’s been a loooong
day, and you are tired. You
worked your butt off to get
great shots for the bride
and groom as well as their
parents. And you may think
you’ve put in your time and
more, even if the reception
is not over. You fi gure it’s
time for you to go home and
download your images.
Don’t leave. Stick around for
an extra hour or so.
Not only might you get some
unexpected shots, but the
folks who hired you will know
that you really care and want
to do the best possible job.
For that reason alone,
hanging out a bit longer
than expected may get you
unexpected new jobs.
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Shoot a SequenceYou know the old saying, “Every picture tells a story.” Well, that’s true. It’s also true that the more
pictures you have, the more of a story you tell. That’s why it’s important to shoot sequences. Sure,
not all of the sequence shots end up in the wedding album, but brides and grooms love them and
often send some of the offi cial “outtakes” to family and friends.
Shooting a story sequence is really only a matter of deciding what you want to say and then
capturing enough moments to say it. Usually, three or four pictures is adequate.
This is one of my favorite sequences. It tells the story of a person drawing a heart in the sand—
from start to fi nish.
If you have Photoshop, you can combine your sequence into a single image (as shown). Just
increase the canvas size of one image (Image > Canvas Size) and then drop your other pictures
into that fi le.
Three-in-one images like this are fun to create and give you yet another type of innovative
photograph to sell.
Partytime
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Working with Refl ectorsCompare these two photographs. In the picture on the left, the bride’s face is beautifully
illuminated, and we can clearly see her eyes. On the right, the bride’s face is darker and looks
a bit fl at. The difference is that an assistant held a refl ector off-camera to bounce sunlight onto
the bride’s face when shooting the picture on the left. No refl ector was used for the image
on the right.
Refl ectors come in all sizes and shapes and usually have a gold side and silver side.
Want a portable and affordable refl ector/ diffuser kit? Check out Rick Sammon’s Portable
Lighting Controller and Tote. It’s described on the Bio page of www.ricksammon.com.
Because you will be shooting outdoors on occasion, never go on a job without a refl ector and
diffuser. Both compress the brightness range in a scene, thereby making it easier for you to get
a good exposure.
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Using Fill Flash CreativelyFill fl ash was covered earlier and as explained then, the basic concept of this technique is to
balance light from the fl ash to available light. This helps you avoid ending up with a picture that
looks like a fl ash picture … with its hallmark harsh shadows. Check out that tip on page 68 before
you read on.
Now, you can take that process to the next step for even more creative control.
Compare these two images. You can see that the background is darker in the left image, but the
faces of the bride and groom are illuminated the same in both. Here’s how you achieve this.
First, set your camera to manual exposure control and dial in the correct exposure. Now, reduce
that exposure by one f-stop. If you take the shot now, the background will be darker and the colors
will be more saturated than if you hadn’t reduced the f-stop.
Next, turn on your fl ash and set it to TTL (automatic). Use your +/– fl ash exposure-compensation
feature to dial in the correct exposure for your subjects.
The idea is that the fl ash illuminates the subjects, which you control with the f-stop, and you
control the brightness of the background with your shutter speed.
How cool is that?! All with a single fl ash.
So full disclosure: This example was actually created in Photoshop, because we didn’t have an
example on hand to illustrate this technique. Knowing that, try to create this effect in Photoshop,
too, by simply darkening the background. It will make your subjects stand out more prominently
in the scene.
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Take Advantage of Lens FlareLens fl are, which can make a picture look fl at and create streaks in an image, occurs when direct
light—from the sun or a light—falls on the front element of your lens (or the fi lter). To avoid lens
fl are, use a lens hood.
Lens fl are, however, is not always a bad thing. In fact, some photographers use it for a creative
effect, as illustrated in the picture on the left and in the center.
But the effect of lens fl are in a photograph is as unpredictable as a bride’s emotions on her
wedding day. So you have to play with the effect, shooting without a lens hood toward the sun,
to see if you like the lens fl are in your photograph. An example is illustrated in the picture on the
right. There’s a strange-looking streak, and the image looks a bit fl at. Even so, the couple liked the
picture and included it in their wedding album—technical imperfections and all.
Here’s another tip on lens fl are. The f-stop at which you shoot affects the effect of lens fl are. Small
f-stops produce sharper beams of fl are, as illustrated in the center image. Vary your f-stop to fi ne-
tune the effect. Keep in mind that varying the f-stop will also cause other elements of the image
to be either in focus or blurred since you are changing the depth of fi eld.
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Look for Pictures within PicturesThe center picture is the original, full-frame shot. The couple liked it. However, it’s always good
to look for pictures within pictures; it’s how we got the images on the left and right.
After the shoot, when you’re sitting at your computer listening to iTunes and editing your work,
play around with the crop tool. Try to create new pictures from your originals.
One reason to shoot RAW fi les at the lowest possible ISO setting is that you get cleaner—
and more—data to work with than if you shoot JPEGs.
But if you see a picture within a picture and don’t have a high enough resolution to make
it a print, upsize the fi le using Genuine Fractals, a Photoshop plug-in from onOne Software
(www.ononesoftware.com).
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What is a Good Exposure?I bet you know where to get the
best slice of pizza—and no doubt
the best pizza ever made! Well
guess what? I know where to get
the best slice of pizza, too…as do
all the readers of this book.
My point: The best slice of pizza is
a very personal thing … just like
an exposure. Some photographers
like slightly darker images; others
like photographs that are slightly
lighter than “perfect.” The same is
true for wedding couples.
The top couple prefers bright
images, and the couple in the
bottom image likes slightly darker,
moody images.
Make sure you talk with your client
couple about the type of pictures
they prefer—before their big day.
This will spare you the time and
effort it takes to batch process
a ton of shots to change the
exposure … after you think all is
said and done.
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Choose a Creative BackgroundCool or boring? The choice is yours when it comes to choosing a background for a portrait.
That’s it for this tip! Except … think creatively at all times!
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Indoor Fill FlashFlip back to page 59—the
Create a Mood tip—and check
out the pictures of the bride
coming down the stairs. Then
come back here.
Okay, as you saw in those
pictures, the window was
overexposed and washed out.
Technically, that may not make
for a perfect exposure, but it
created a dreamy effect. And
it was a success, according to
the bride. She loved
this photograph.
Here, the photographer
wanted to create a more
realistic image. Therefore,
he used a proper exposure to
capture both the couple and
the area outside the window.
Fill fl ash is covered earlier, and
this is just another example of
how important it is to master
this technique. With it, you
can have fun creating pictures
that will defi nitely make it into
the wedding album.
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Fun Group vs. Posed Group ShotsCompare these pictures.
Which one has more life?
Which type of picture brings
back the fun of the moment?
Which one looks more
natural?
Which one suggests that
the photographer is fun
to work with?
Which one is more creative?
Which one has a better
background?
That’s enough questions for
now. Your answers will tell
you which type of shot you
simply can’t miss.
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Capture Fleeting MomentsOne thing we haven’t yet covered is shutter speed and how to freeze the action.
When the action you’re trying to capture is happening quickly, use a shutter speed of at least
1/500 of a second to freeze it. Look to capture the peak of action, as illustrated in the photograph
on the left.
Also be sure to set your camera to rapid frame advance in situations like this.
When shooting RAW fi les for action sequences, make sure you have a fast write-speed memory
card. Check your camera’s instruction manual for the maximum number of pictures you can take
before your camera “locks up.” If your camera locks up, you may miss the most important shot
in a sequence.
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Creative Side Lighting We’ve discussed Rembrandt lighting, which is side lighting that beautifully illuminates
a subject’s face.
The picture on the left is an example of this type of lighting. However, the subject’s face is not
visible here, because she is turned away from the sidelight. This is a creative technique that
photographers can use for a creative picture.
The image on the right is another example of Photoshop handiwork. Shadows/ Highlight was
used to open up the shadows so the bride’s face is a bit more discernible. It’s included here as an
example of what you can do if your client does not fully appreciate your creativity.
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Create a Private MomentAt sometime during the wedding reception, fi nd a nice secluded spot and take a relaxed portrait
of the newlyweds. Finally, the pressure is off—for them and you!
Find a location and determine the correct exposure before summoning the newlyweds. Then move
the couple into position swiftly so you can shoot and scoot. Let them get back to celebrating.
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Bend the RulesHere is a very important tip: Bend the rules sometimes. When you do, you end up with more
creative shots. Here is an example.
In the picture on the right, the couple looks great, and they are positioned somewhat in the
middle of the frame. It’s an okay shot. There is technically nothing wrong with it.
But now check out the picture on the left. The subjects are way off center, creating a much more
dynamic photograph. What’s more, the background is a bit out of focus, which is not the way
we would actually see this scene in real life.
Sure, in a situation like this, you could put everything in focus by locking the focus one-third into
the scene and using a smaller f-stop. That is technically the way to go. But creative photographers
may want to play with the out-of-focus effect.
Whether it’s this one or others, bend rules. It’ll help you eventually develop a signature style for
your work. Just make sure you practice your new techniques before the wedding, so you’re not
surprised by the results you get when it’s over.
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Shooting at NightIf you’ve read all the tips in this chapter, you know that this is a fi ll-fl ash shot.
In mixed-lighting situations like this, when you have available light and light from your fl ash,
set the white balance to fl ash for accurate skin tones. This is what you want in this situation.
When shooting fi ll-fl ash pictures at night, be sure to boost your ISO to 400, or maybe even
800, to record the background light (if you don’t want to use a tripod for a steady shot at a
lower ISO setting).
Speaking of tripods, they’re the ball and chain of photojournalist-style photography. They
drastically reduce your fl exibility to cover events, which involves running from here to there
and back again to capture important scenes. That said, never leave home without a tripod,
as you never know when you will need it.
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106
The sign of a true professional is that a diffi cult job looks easy.
It’s another of my all-time favorite expressions.
And the pros featured in this section, including Stephanie Smith of 831
Photography… whose image you see here, do just that. They make the
creative process of spectacular photography look easy.
Better yet, they share their secrets with you here, with hopes of helping
you expand your creative horizons. Find their web sites at the end
of the tip they provided. Check ’em out for more information.
Part 5
Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
© Stephanie Smith
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Be NiceWhen you fi rst enter a church or a temple, fi nd out what the rules and regulations are for the place.
Don’t forget that you are a guest and that you can’t do whatever you want. Talk with the people who
are in charge before you start photographing.
When I entered St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, there were so many security guards
around that I knew shooting conditions would be strict. In fact, before the shoot, I had learned
that use of tripods during the ceremony is prohibited.
In this situation, I could have created this image by increasing the ISO and hand holding the
camera, but I knew I’d be enlarging this image for the wedding album. The only way to get the
quality I needed was to use a tripod.
So while I waited for the ceremony to begin, I made friends with the security guard near the altar.
We started joking around and laughing. Then, when the timing was right, I asked him if I could get
one shot with my tripod. For some crazy reason, he let me. I took only one shot and it resulted in
this beautiful image. It really pays to be nice to people.
Rocco Chilelli • Photographer/Nice Guy
Camelot Photography Studios, Inc. • www.camelotstudios.com
© Rocco Chilelli
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Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
Go For ItThe hurricane was going to hit. We just didn’t know when. It wasn’t raining when we left the
wedding, but by the time we got to the reception, it was coming down in buckets. Although
I had taken some photographs indoors, I was determined to get an outdoor shot.
Despite the heavy rain, I said to myself, “What the heck; let’s go for it.” So there I was, standing
in the pouring rain with my new camera. I got three shots off before I ran for cover.
Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to get the shot.
Rocco Chilelli • Photographer/Nice Guy Even in the Rain
Camelot Photography Studios, Inc. • www.camelotstudios.com
© Rocco Chilelli
110
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
It’s All About the LightEverywhere I go—seminars, workshops, informal meetings—conversation inevitably hits the
subject of lighting and posing. This is because, aside from the posing element of portraiture,
light is the primary concern of most professional photographers. Mastering the use of light …
in the studio, outdoors or in homes using window light …is the most important skill for
capturing top-class images.
The books I’ve written include analysis of the work of more than thirty top-class photographers
as well many of my own photographs. In reviewing hundreds of images for these books, I learned
techniques and styles that opened my eyes to a vast array of available lighting options. Let this
inspire you to take the next step in creative capture.
From my perspective, simply creating standard lighting patterns on a subject’s face is sterile.
Instead, think of the standard patterns as a platform for creating greater dynamics. For instance,
unlike most other photographers, I love low-light situations. Thus, in situations that most of my
colleagues ignore, I see beautiful opportunities.
So whether you see a photograph as great, good or awful, let it teach you something. Identifying
the strengths and weaknesses of images is a valuable part of the learning process. Taking the time
to do this type of analysis will make you a much better photographer. See the light!
Norman Phillips • Photographer and author of nine books • www.normanphillipsseminars.com
© Norman Phillips
111
Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
The Little Things Really Do Matter I’m often asked, “How do you get
couples to look so relaxed and into
each other in your photographs?”
It’s easier than you think.
Too often photographers put
enormous pressure on themselves
to make “magic moments”
happen. The funny thing about
that is, they happen naturally. You
can capture—and enhance—
them by paying attention to the
little things and applying your
photographic experience.
The little things matter so much.
The way a couple holds hands
with just one or two fi ngers …
how they stand together when
they think no one is looking …
the expression on her face when
he gives her a little kiss … These
are the things that matter.
So my best answer to that
question is that I let couples
be themselves and capture it
(as shown in this image).
Remember that wedding images
aren’t about a photographer;
they’re about the couple … and
the people and things they love.
Get to know the bride and groom
prior to the wedding day.
Then, when shooting, know when to be quiet and when to give direction. Watching and listening to
the couple is often the best thing you can do as a wedding photographer.
Scott Plauché • Photographer, Workshop Leader • www.scottplauche.com
© Scott Plauché
112
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Make Your Vision a RealityBeing a photojournalist,
I rarely setup images.
However, when a vision
strikes me, I make sure
to make it happen.
When the bride
and groom in this
photograph told me
they were going to
do pictures in the
courthouse, this image
immediately came into
my mind. I knew I had
to make it happen.
The courthouse has an
amazing marble fl oor,
and there’s a balcony
that circles the main
hall. I envisioned the
bride and groom just
holding each other
while their bridal party
danced around them. I
had no doubt that this
location was the best place to make it happen, because I would be able to position myself almost
directly above them.
I set up the camera on a tripod, which has an extending arm that allows the camera to point
straight down. Once the camera was in place, I asked my “dancers” to spin on the spot, fairly
quickly. The bride and groom held completely still.
I counted down, the dancers started spinning and then … using a remote shutter release…
I opened the shutter for 1.3 seconds on my Canon 40D. It was set on a Bogen/ Manfrotto
tripod with a ballhead. This was the result!
Stephanie Smith • Photographer • 831 Photography
www.831Photography.com • www.831PhotoCouture.com
© Stephanie Smith
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Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
Work Into the NightWhile covering weddings, especially
destination weddings, I love to
capture the bride and groom in
context of the site’s mood.
So I don’t stop when the sun sets.
Instead, I go out late at night and
capture the after-hours mood. I
take my tripod and play with long
exposures and painting with light.
(See page 36 for information on
this technique.) This enables me
to unlock the amazing beauty of
the scene with my client.
For this image, I set my Canon 1D
Mark III for a 30-second exposure
to capture the movement of the
clouds over the mountain. Of
course I used a tripod, my Bogen/
Manfrotto with a ballhead. The
full moon illuminated most of the
scene for me, but I used a small
fl ashlight to paint light onto my
clients so that they were more than
silhouettes.
I simply asked the bride and groom
to hold still and then I went to town
creating the image I saw in
my mind’s eye.
My advice is to take your time
and play with night photography.
Sometimes the most amazing
images happen after dark.
Stephanie Smith
Photographer
831 Photography
www.831Photography.com
www.831PhotoCouture.com
© Stephanie Smith
114
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Master Low-Light Photography Low light, fast action and no fl ash allowed—
the nightmares of photographers everywhere.
Yet not only are these challenges common for
weddings, they are often celebrated. Candlelight
ceremony, anyone?
While you may have few options as far as the
lighting is concerned, you can still capture great
images without having to re-stage the scene. Here
are some quick tips.
1. Prime lenses are your friend. A prime lens
is your best tool for low-light photography.
Ranging anywhere from one to fi ve stops faster
than their zoom counterparts, the speed of a
prime lens gives you a huge advantage in low-
light situations.
2. Use ISO to the extreme. Digital noise on most
SLR cameras is well-controlled, especially
compared to what was available just fi ve short
years ago. Add in the increased resolution, which
results in a fi ner noise structure, and prints
made from ISO1600 images today can easily
compete with ISO200 images from cameras just
three years ago. If noise becomes too much of
an issue, you can always print the image in black
and white; the difference is astounding. But it’s
better to have a noisy image than no image.
3. Consider high-speed drive shooting. You may not have thought that shooting higher FPS would
help get you sharper images, but this is probably the best-kept secret of wedding photographers.
No matter how carefully you squeeze your shutter, there will be some movement of your camera.
Shooting in bursts allows you to capture two or three images in succession, which gives your body
a chance to settle down from the movement. Generally, I can shoot at much slower shutter speeds
with this method—up to two stops slower than normal! Imagine using a 1/50 second shutter with a
200mm lens…without a tripod or optical stabilization. With high-speed drive mode, it’s truly possible!
Mastering low-light photography is the key to good wedding photography. With practice, the right
equipment and a little knowledge, you’ll be able to capture images in practically any situation.
Shannon Smith • co-owner of 831 Photography, workshop leader and lecturer
www.831Photography.com • www.831PhotoCouture.com • 831photo-Shannon.blogspot.com
© Shannon Smith
115
Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
Shoot with Your HeartI love incorporating shapes and interesting lighting in my photographs. This photograph of Jill
and Sean making a heart with fl ashlights on their wedding day allowed me to do both. Best of all,
it turned the creative process into a collaborative experience.
My inspiration came from Life Magazine photographer Gjon Mili’s famous portrait of Picasso
drawing a minotaur with a fl ashlight.
Here’s the recipe for photographers wishing to explore this technique:
1. Select a dark location with minimal ambient light.
2. Place your camera on a tripod and attach a cable release.
3. Set the shutter speed to B (bulb).
4. Choose an aperture that will provide suffi cient depth-of-fi eld for the subject.
5. Trip the shutter and fi re the fl ash.
6. Immediately begin fl ashlight movement. Upon completion, close the shutter.
7. Check result and modify any of the following: ISO, speed of fl ashlight movement, f/stop, etc.
8. Allow your subjects to view the progress, and involve them in the process. Be sure to use your
digital camera zoom-in function to check sharpness.
If you’re happy with the shot and it feels right, it probably is. That’s shooting with your heart.
Dan Wagner • Photographer, teacher, artist
www.danwagner.com • www.danwagnerphotography.com • www.worldofwagner.com
© Dan Wagner
116
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Think UnconventionallyWhile it is, conventionally,
easier to use a light
background for shots like
this—to remain in the same
key as the subject’s dress—
I chose to take the opposite
approach and match the
background to the bride’s
exotic looks. Yet I wanted to
avoid the stark contrast of
a front-lit gown against a
dark background.
This unconventional path
led me to create illumination
angles that would keep most
of the gown in shadow,
thereby rendering the
white as gray, but still
tonally well-modulated.
All of the light sources were
placed between the subject
and background. There
were no lights in front of
the subject, which is quite
unconventional—and it
resulted in one of my most
popular images.
Claude Jodoin
Photographer, Consultant
and Educator
www.claudejodin.com© Claude Jodoin
117
Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
Scout the LocationGreat shots don’t just happen. You make them.
For a wedding in Arizona, the bride and groom had already selected a park for their environmental
portraits site. The morning before the wedding, my assistant and I scouted the park and found
several key locations. At the same time of day as the wedding shoot, we walked the selected path
and stopped at each location, as if we were taking the pictures. This allowed me to see how the
light would look the following day (or at least give me a really good idea).
Scouting the area of your upcoming shoot is essential for getting the best possible images,
especially if you are shooting at a location you have never visited.
For this shot, I used a Westcott Spiderlite TD5 with strobes and a Lithium Ion battery pack. The
TD5 had a 24x32” soft box that was located just over my camera and slightly off to the right. The
light was about eight feet off the ground. I used a Canon 5D with a 16-35mm f/2.8L lens set at
f/7.2 at 1/125 ISO 100.
I fi rst set my exposure for the sunset and then added the TD5 for the subject. I had to vary the
distance to get the amount of fall off that I wanted. I used all four strobes in the Spiderlite TD5,
which gave me 200 W/S.
Nevertheless, it was the cooperation of the bride and groom that made this shot possible. Not every
couple will hike into the dessert for two hours before their reception. Make sure you talk to your
clients about their expectations for your photography work and know what they are willing to do.
John D. Williamson • www.jfwestcott.com
© John D. Williamson
118
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Got IR?When shooting weddings, it’s often my goal to bring an added touch of the surreal to an already
unbelievable day. Sometimes this means playing with f-stops or looking for interesting angles.
Other times it means using an entirely non-traditional tool to create imagery the bride and groom
have never seen before. One such tool is a DSLR that’s modifi ed to capture infrared (IR) light.
Because I’m always experimenting with new gear and cameras, I had a Canon Rebel that wasn’t
seeing a lot of day-to-day use. I had it modifi ed for IR-only photography. The resulting tool was
exactly what I needed to create some of my favorite and most compelling images.
On the technical side of things, I always shoot my IR images in the RAW fi le format. This gives me
the greatest amount of headroom for recovering overexposed highlights in the initial fi le capture.
As well, creating and using a custom white balance for your camera will help you to easily visualize
and review your images during a photo session.
I fi nd that one of the joys of photographing in infrared are the unexpected surprises you get after
pressing the shutter-release button. While you generally need strong sunlight to produce optimal
IR photos, feel free to break the rules now and then. Experiment with your camera settings and
shooting conditions to fi nd something special and unique.
Of course, photography is about so much more than technical details. It’s also about emotions,
situations and reactions. If you have a love for photography and an eye for the unusual, then you
may well fi nd yourself drawn toward an infrared romance.
Ulysses Ashton • Photographer, Author, Lecturer • Ulysses Photography • www.ulyssesphotography.com
119
Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
Go Beyond the ClichésWe’ve all been in the position during a wedding shoot when things start winding down and it feels
like we’re just waiting for the next big setup event: the bouquet toss, the cake cutting, the dances.
These things can feel less like rites of passage and more like hurdles you need to jump to get to
the fi nish line of the night.
Vigilance, however, can pay off in even the most mundane of circumstances. Step back and take
a look around you. Look for shapes to play with. Consider opportunities to expose for shadows,
as opposed to always exposing for highlights. Be open to changing lighting situations.
You may think the safe shot is always the best option, but brides and situations will surprise you.
Newlyweds are eager to have something creative in their albums. So do something interesting that
will take your shots beyond the clichés.
Shane Snider • Photographer • Shane Snider Photography • www.shanesnider.com
© Shane Snider
120
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
All Together NowA successful wedding
photograph is the result of
many elements coming together
well. Those elements include
composition, lighting, exposure
and the pose.
For this image, I carefully
positioned the bride so that the
doors in the foreground would
add a sense of dimension to the
photograph and the tied drapes
over the bed could frame her.
The even lighting throughout
the photograph is a result of
natural lighting with a fl ash
positioned behind the subject.
Notice how both the bride’s
face and the scene outside the
window are properly exposed.
To learn that secret, check
out Rick’s tip on fi ll-in fl ash
photography on page 68.
Before shooting I asked the
bride to look down at her
bouquet and to touch one
of the fl owers. The result is a
timeless classic.
When you are making a picture,
keep the “All Together Now”
idea in mind.
Brian Ozegovich
Park Ave Studio
www.parkavestudio.com
© Brian Ozegovich
121
Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
Get Cinematic with HDRThis is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image. To create an image with this effect, take three
or more pictures at lighter and darker exposure settings, and then combine them using HDR
software, such as Photomatix (www.hdrsoft.com). HDR offers a far greater dynamic range than
a single exposure can provide.
When I plan an HDR image, I tell the subject to stand as still as possible, and then I quickly fi re off
three images using 2EV auto-bracketing. I always use a tripod and generally go with natural light.
A cable release also helps because I don’t have to touch the camera to fi re the sequence. This
keeps things stable.
Once I have the shots, I tweak them in post-production to get the fi nal result. It takes time and it’s not
right for every image; but when it’s done right, this technique will really set your photography apart.
For HDR wedding images, compose a broad, sweeping scene to achieve a wide cinematic look.
Keep in mind that the closer you get to your subjects, the more exaggerated their movements
will appear in the photograph.
To learn more about HDR, check out the HDR section of prophotoshow.net.
Gavin Seim • Photographer • www.seimstudios.com
© Gavin Seim
122
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Follow Your Heart and Have FunLike many wedding photographers, my main goal is to make the client couple 100% happy. So
when a bride and groom want specifi c photographs on their wedding day, I ask for a list so I’m
sure to capture those special moments. I also ask for a schedule of events, so I’m on the spot and
don’t miss the shot.
Armed with this information, I know basically what to expect. I know I need to constantly be aware
of everything going on around me and anticipate the reactions of people. I follow my heart and go
for candid photographs that make me smile. This typically makes my clients happy and results in
a sale. This fun-fi lled photograph is one such example.
Sure, from an aesthetic standpoint, the background in this image is not the greatest. But check
out the expressions on the bride and one of her bridesmaids. It’s a real fun shot—captured in the
blink of an eye (and with the help of daylight fi ll-in fl ash) because I followed my heart.
Follow your heart—and don’t miss a fun shot because it’s technically not perfect.
Kerstin Hecker Photography • www.kerstinhecker.com • [email protected]
© Kerstin Hecker
123
Part 5 Pros Share Their Shooting Secrets
Carve Out TimeWhen photographing weddings,
insist that the couple makes time
in their day to allow you to take
some interesting and creative
shots. No doubt, creative images
are good for their album, but they
are also good for your portfolio ...
and they help you hone your
creative skills.
I always seek creative
opportunities. I’m particularly
attracted to refl ective surfaces as
a design component of creative
portraits. The grille, mirrors,
hubcaps…even the windows…
of a limo are all highly refl ective
and can create interesting and
captivating elements in a scene.
So remember, on the wedding
day, get the standard shot of the
bride and groom “carving” the
cake, but also carve out time for
creative photographs.
Steven Inglima
Explorers of Light, Canon USA
www.usa.canon.com/dlc
© Steven Inglima
124
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Part 6
The Woman’s TouchYou saw some of Stephanie Smith’s wonderfully creative images in the
previous chapter. Well, I was so impressed with her photographs and her
willingness to share that it seemed right to give her a special section to
provide you a woman’s perspective of shooting wedding photography.
Check out more of her work on the following pages, and you’ll see why
I have the utmost respect for this dedicated and talented individual—
whom I have never actually met, by the way. Thanks to the Internet for
helping me fi nd her!
Read more about Stephanie’s photo philosophies, in her own words,
on the next few pages. And if you still want more, check out her work
at 831 Photography (www.831Photography.com).
© Stephanie Smith
126
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Be Cool, Calm and Collected My clients tell me all
the time that I have a
calming infl uence on
them. When everything
is crazy and everyone is
stressed, I usually remain
cool, calm and collected.
In the midst of
commotion, a bride
or her attendants will
ask, “Is this normal?” I
assure everyone that all
weddings have chaotic
moments and stressful
times. Then I suggest
that everyone take a
deep breath, relax and
just enjoy the moment—
because it will be gone
before they know it.
How can I remain so
calm in the midst of
the chaos? Well, I’ve
been there before …
hundreds of times as a
wedding photographer.
And more importantly, I
have been a bride. I have
been in those shoes, and
I can relate to the butterfl ies that brides feel in their stomach. I know the anxiety, the excitement,
the stress and the relief that they feel now that their wedding day has fi nally arrived. So when I tell
them to relax and enjoy it, they know it is coming from someone who speaks from experience.
The bride in this image was very calm all morning while she was getting ready. However, when she
arrived at the back of the church—waiting for her moment to go down the aisle—and heard the
music playing, she showed her fi rst signs of anxiety. She looked up to keep from tearing, took a
deep breath and said a little prayer to herself. Then it was time to get the show on the road.
© Stephanie Smith
127
Part 6 The Woman’s Touch
PersuadeSometimes, in order to get
beautiful images, you have to
ask your clients to do things
they normally would not do.
Groomsmen, in particular, can
be challenging. Many times
they don’t want to do things
that they think will make them
look silly. However, because
I am a woman, I often have
an easier time than my male
colleagues in convincing
grooms to comply with
photography requests.
One thing that rarely takes
much convincing is when I
suggest that the couple take
fi ve minutes and just enjoy a
few moments alone together.
I love getting them to just be
together and soak in a few
moments of each other on
their wedding day.
It took just a bit more
convincing than normal to get
this couple positioned for this
shot. A massive storm had rolled
in just two minutes after their
outdoor ceremony ended, which cut short our portrait time. So later, during the reception, when the
rain had fi nally passed, I suggested that the couple join me outside for a few more pictures. They
were very open to the idea of walking around the grounds of the wedding location, because the
landscape was a main reason they had selected the site.
The sun was setting so we had very little time to shoot, but a beautiful rainbow developed and I knew
that we had to capture it. I asked the bride and groom to walk into the grass on a small hill so I could
line up everything the way I wanted. The grass was very wet which caused a moment of hesitation,
but my clients trusted me and cooperated. They were rewarded with this memorable image.
© Stephanie Smith
128
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
With a Little Help From FriendsBridesmaids can be a
tremendous help when
shooting a wedding. They want
the best for their friend on her
wedding day, so they include
me on inside jokes and things
I should photograph. They
provide insight that perhaps
I would not get if I was male.
Maybe it’s general female
camaraderie. Women in
general like to make others
feel special, and so they go out
of their way to make sure that
the bride gets the very best of
everything on her big day.
This image was created with
the help of bridesmaids. I was
in the back of the church,
waiting for the bride to walk
down the aisle, when one of
the bridesmaids came out of
the little room in which they
were waiting to tell me that the
bride was peeking through a
crack on the hinge side of the
door leading to the sanctuary.
I went into the sanctuary and
got the shot from the other
side of the door.
Now the bride will always
remember her smile as she
saw her ceremony about to
begin, and it is thanks to her
bridesmaid…who let me know
what was happening when I
was elsewhere.
© Stephanie Smith
129
Part 6 The Woman’s Touch
Blend InThe brides I’ve worked with
have been very comfortable
with me photographing them
getting ready. As a woman, I
blend in with her mother and
bridesmaids. This allows me
to capture some of the most
intimate moments that a bride
has on her wedding day.
The time spent getting ready
is when the bride transforms
from her normal self into the
stunning bride she has likely
pictured herself to be since she
was a little girl. It is amazing
to see emotions change as the
transformation progresses.
Usually the veil is what sends
the bride and the family over
the top emotionally.
The bride has likely worn fancy
dresses before, but only on her
wedding day does she put on
a veil. The bride tends to be
less than fully dressed while
getting ready and usually needs
a handful of helpers to get into
her gown. Getting into the
wedding gown can be a fun and
chaotic moment and one that
defi nitely should be preserved.
I love this image because it
shows how many people it
takes to get a bride ready for
her wedding.
© Stephanie Smith
130
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Be a FriendOften, my clients become my friends. It feels good to arrive at a wedding to photograph it and feel
like I am spending the day with good friends. I appreciate that my clients feel comfortable with me
and that they let me into their lives—allowing me to share this extraordinary time with them and
their families. I often feel like a part of the family by the time I leave at the end of a wedding day.
Because I feel so close to my clients, I’m able to suggest and capture images that I would want if it
were my own wedding. This photograph is one I created to bring my client’s wedding day full circle.
The groom’s father had passed away before the wedding. During the reception, they played a song
dedicated to him. Afterward, those who were close to him drank a toast of his favorite drink. The
best man was holding a picture of the groom’s father while they toasted him, and I thought that it
would be appropriate to capture an image of the groom with his father.
I asked the groom to hold the picture and I made sure I could see his wedding ring. I felt that
this was a great way to show the groom starting his life as a husband—and maybe someday as
a father—while including the memory of his own father.
© Stephanie Smith
131
Part 6 The Woman’s Touch
Think CreativelyI fi nd myself trying to fi nd new ways to
look at things—all the time. I love to
see things from angles that few others
would think to consider.
For instance, I try to look for creative
ways to show the wedding gown in
photographs. Obviously, this is a very
important part of a wedding day. And
many brides spend hours trying on
gowns before fi nding the one that’s
perfect for them. They examine all the
aspects of the dress, and I love to take
detailed images of it.
This detail of the dress is taken from
a very unusual angle. I hung the dress
from a light fi xture in the room where
the bride was getting ready. I used a
wide-angle lens, got down low to the
fl oor and took the picture only inches
from the dress.
I loved the detail at the bottom of
her dress, and that’s what I wanted
to highlight.
Keep in mind that beautiful images
are even more beautiful when they
are captured in creative and
different ways.
© Stephanie Smith
132
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Follow Your InstinctsWhen I started my wedding
photography journey, I didn’t know
of any female wedding photographers.
Instead of limiting my growth and
development, this was a bit liberating;
it pushed me to cut my own trail.
That is to say, the lack of female
mentors freed me to create my own
vision and develop a style that came
from my own instincts and vision. In
doing so, I eventually found that I
was breaking a lot of the traditional
photography rules.
Part of my photography style is
capturing bodies—hands, in
particular. I’m not as concerned with
getting a face in every image. I believe
that you can tell a lot about a couple
and their relationship through
their body language. Hands are
especially telling.
In this image, I wanted to catch the
couple in an environment in which
they are comfortable. Walking on
the beach hand-in-hand is a natural
activity for this couple.
By watching them walk, I was able
to build an image that told a much
larger story than a basic portrait. I
focused on the footsteps they left
in the sand to show that where they
have been is just as important as
where they are going. I was able to
show the beginning of their new
journey as a couple.
Follow your instincts and create
interesting stories.
© Stephanie Smith
Stephanie Smith contributed the insightful material for the previous
chapter. In this chapter, her husband, Shannon Smith, offers additional
advice and creative ideas on how to turn what could be standard wedding
snapshots into memorable photographs.
Like Stephanie’s chapter, this is written in Shannon’s own words and
is accompanied by his creative, personal and fun images—such as the
McDonald’s window shot, which you’ll see in a few pages.
You can check out more of his work at 831 Photography
(www.831Photography.com).
Part 7
The Creative Touch
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Anticipate the Moment Receptions are full of unscripted, fl eeting moments. In this image, the bride had pulled out her
husband’s wallet, joking around. After capturing the laughs and smiles, I circled the dance fl oor
hoping she would put it back in for him—and it paid off.
The tight crop, playful angle and hints of people in the background all add to the fun feel of
this image.
Even though I missed her pulling the wallet out of his pocket, I anticipated what might come
next and was able to capture the image I wanted.
Another way to give this advice is to say, “Think ahead.” It’s something all good wedding
photographers do.
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Focus on the Attendants, TooOne of my favorite subjects at a wedding, aside from the bride and groom themselves, are their
attendants. Obviously important enough to be a special part of this big day, attendants are always
great subjects. Photographs of them are guaranteed to have a special meaning for the newlyweds.
In this image, the fl ower girl quietly went out to the hallway during the reception to sign the
guestbook. The setting was perfect—candles, white tablecloth, good background—but there
wasn’t enough natural light to freeze the action.
At the time, my assistant had a fl ash on a monopod that was controlled by a radio trigger, so I
simply had them bounce the fl ash off the ceiling. Our beautiful fl ower girl was close enough to the
table that we could use it as a natural refl ector. Therefore, her face didn’t fall deep into shadow,
and the lighting wasn’t overpowering to the natural light coming from the candle.
Color balance was an issue though, as there were three distinct sources of light: overhead
fl uorescent bulbs, the warm candlelight and our fl ash. I wanted to keep the warm feel but needed
to lose the clash of colors. A simple sepia toning did the trick.
By keeping my eye on the bridal party and being able to predict how light would be refl ected—
and then making some simple adjustments in Photoshop—I was able to capture this delicate
moment without interaction. It turned out to be one of the bride’s favorites!
So the tip here is to include the wedding attendants and not focus exclusively on the bride and groom.
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Set Yourself Free I almost always work with a
second photographer, because
this frees me to get creative
with my photography without
worrying about missing
the traditional shots. This
image is a perfect example
of the rewards of being free
to experiment with creative
angles and techniques.
In this image, I knew the cake
was very important to the
bride. Rather than using the
traditional wide-angle lens, I
used my 70-200mm lens and
focused on the slice they were
about to share. The bride,
completely out of focus in
the background, shows her
complete joy while I captured
a great shot for their album.
When you set yourself free,
you’ll come up with more
creative images.
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Keep It FreshI always try to keep my eyes open for fresh, new locations and scenes. In this case, we were
approaching the church, and I saw the sign as we pulled in. I knew we had to take the groom
out there immediately. It totally fi t his personality.
Always observe your surroundings, and you’ll fi nd that opportunities for unique images present
themselves to you.
As long as I am talking about keeping you eyes open, it’s a good idea to learn how to shoot with
both eyes open—like a sports photographer. When you do this, you can, among other things, see
if another person is about to walk into the scene, which can either add to or take away from the
image you capture.
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Use Natural Light When it Feels RightWhen possible, use natural
light. In this case, there
was a skylight off to my left,
and I saw the bride getting
her hair touched up before
walking down the aisle.
If I had used a fl ash, the
mist of the hairspray would
never have shown up with
such depth. By waiting
for the right moment
and not overpowering
the scene with light, I
was able to capture this
striking image.
As with all your
photographs, it’s important
to see the light and know
how to control it on
site—with a fl ash, refl ector
or diffuser … or by
repositioning the subject.
Afterward, know how to
manipulate the effects of
light in Photoshop.
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Eliminate DistractionsDuring the makeup session, try to get in close to your subject(s) in order to eliminate the many
distractions found in salons.
Wait until the lipstick brush is just off the bride’s lips to shoot. This creates a feeling of
anticipation and avoids the strange open-mouth face that usually accompanies lipstick
application. Also, since lipstick is typically the last touch of a makeup session, the bride’s skin
appears much smoother—and the eyes are much more dramatic—at this point in the day.
Being close to the subject also creates sharpness in the image, because the frame is fi lled with
only the important details.
A little Photoshop work sometimes is necessary here, because being this close can be unforgiving.
The results are dramatic though. Even the bride’s brother was in shock. He didn’t recognize
her at fi rst and commented on how hot this woman looked! A good lens for these situations
is a 17-400mm zoom lens.
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Bring Your Own Lights Reception halls usually have some of
the toughest lighting a photographer
will ever face. They are typically low,
extremely warm (tungsten lights get
warmer as they are dimmed), and
positioned directly overhead—
casting eyes into shadow to create
“raccoon eyes.”
Of course, using the fl ash on your
camera helps but, even then, you’re left
with dark backgrounds and possible
red-eye. Some photographers use high
ISO settings and drag the shutter,
allowing more ambient light in to
lighten the backgrounds, but this
can cause extremely warm backgrounds
and shadows along with motion blur
and noise.
A great solution to this problem is to
just bring your own lights. Set up four
manual fl ashes on light stands and
position them around the room. Trigger
them with radio triggers.
Use manual mode to get consistent
power and light up the entire dance
fl oor. Since you’re not using the ambient
light in this scenario, color balance won’t
be an issue. Get great starbursts in your
pictures by including the overhead lights
in your shot.
Diffusers are generally unnecessary if
you place your light stands in corners,
because no matter the angle, you will
always have a main light, a fi ll light and
two rim lights.
That’s it. Studio quality lighting at the
reception is easier than you thought, eh?
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Think Outside the RectangleSometimes, cropping makes all the difference between good and great. In this case, the bride and
groom used antique cars to transport their bridal party from the ceremony to the reception, and
they wanted an image that captured these stunning automobiles.
The weather was dreary, so we had a very short window of time to get photographs without
everyone ending up soaked. We had to work quickly.
On the way to the reception, we found a circular driveway, so we had the cars pull up to the edge,
and I went across the little strip of grass. The bridal party was positioned in front of their vehicles,
and I snapped three shots.
Unfortunately, to get the wide angle to capture all the cars, I ended up with a foreground
featuring an unfl attering parking lot. A simple crop transformed this image from average to great.
Eliminating the foreground distraction resulted a nice panoramic image for the bride and groom
to cherish forever.
Remember, just because your camera captures in a 2:3 format doesn’t mean you are limited
to that size for your fi nished image.
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Make Suggestions One thing I like to do is suggest situations, rather than poses. In this case, I suggested that we stop
at a McDonalds near the church. What a fun shot!
Don’t be shy; make suggestions.
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Scan the CrowdDuring the ceremony, there are periods of time when a photographer will wait for the next
reader, the exchange of vows or some new scene to present itself. We are often restricted with
our movement options and want to keep a low profi le.
At these times, I often scan the pews for less-traditional images. Many times, children are excellent
subjects, as they rarely are as interested in the ceremony as the adults, and they fi nd amusing ways
to distract themselves.
This image is a classic example. The bride and groom are holding hands, ready to exchange vows,
and this young boy is clearly bored with the whole situation. As he looks around, I focus on him,
ready for the eye contact I know is coming.
By observing the entire wedding, rather than focusing only on the main group, you will be able to
capture many images that are easily overlooked. You also end up with photographs that tell a more
complete story of the wedding day. Since these small moments and situations are rarely noticed
by the bride, groom … or even the child’s parents…presenting beautiful photographs of them will
likely make the newlyweds very happy.
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Work with Refl ectionsRefl ections are almost always a sure-fi re way to capture unique images, especially when you give
the viewer two separate subjects to see. Sunglasses are perfect for refl ections. They allow you to
capture in your photograph what the primary (or secondary) subject is seeing.
A great technique is to turn your fl ash toward the refl ected subject. Because your point of view
will be different from the angle of your light source, you immediately get off-camera lighting and
shading—without any extra equipment.
The added bonus of being able to see both facial expressions practically guarantees this will be
a favorite image for both the bride and groom.
As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, seeing the light in a scene and knowing how to control its
effect is critical, especially when working on an image such as this.
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Do a Double CheckWhen capturing the exit, I always check two things on my camera. I make sure the high-speed
drive mode is enabled and that my fl ash is on.
The exit is usually shot outdoors, and the bright sunlight can create harsh shadows under the
eyes, ruining an important image. By using my fl ash to fi ll in these shadows, the newlywed’s
expressions are easily seen and their eyes have a nice catch light, which gives them some sparkle.
The drive mode allows me to capture multiple images, as it is very unpredictable where things
like petals, rice or, in this case, streamers will fall. Having multiple images allows me to choose
the absolute best smile, position and lighting.
Remember, it’s easier to throw away bad images than to wish you had captured a better one!
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Observe Body Language Many times, I like to give
my clients some alone time,
especially when they have been
running around all day. This is
usually a rare treat for them, since
they are pushed along by their
timeline all day long. This alone
time usually results in some of
the most memorable moments
of their big day.
Yet I never keep my eyes off of
them during this time, because
their emotions are easily seen
through their body language. I
like to use a longer lens for these
shots to stay out of view, so the
couple can interact naturally.
In this case, I was inside the
reception hall, shooting through
the window. I was watching the
groom look at all the beautiful
details of the wedding bouquet
that the bride had so carefully
chosen. It was obvious he
wanted to make sure he noticed
the details.
The panes of glass added interest
to the image, and helped frame
them in an otherwise plain
pre-winter background.
If you are new to the wonderful world of Photoshop, this chapter is just
what the doctor ordered. It offers all the basic stuff you need to know
about Photoshop.
Sure, Photoshop can be intimidating. That’s why this chapter is included
in this book. It gives you a strong foundation for working on your images,
which is covered in the next chapter.
Part 8
Photoshop Must-Know Info
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Never Work on the Original ImageThis is the mother of photography
basics: Never work on your original
image fi les. It’s just too risky.
Not convinced? Consider a scenario
in which you fi nish making all of
your adjustments and enhancements
and then you accidentally press Save
rather than Save As. Uh oh! Your
original may be lost forever—unless
you shoot RAW fi les, which always
remain as RAW fi les.
Lose that magical “fi rst kiss” or a
“secret kiss” photo, and the bride
and groom will be more than a bit
upset with you!
So it’s absolutely critical to always—
always—back up your image fi les.
Save them in at least two places,
because chances are … your hard
drive will eventually crash, sending
your one-of-a-kind pictures into
“never never land” forever.
My advice is to back up these
precious fi les using an accessory
hard drive, which can accommodate
more fi les than a DVD. Also, the
write speed to a hard drive is much
quicker than it is to a DVD.
Of course, the bride and groom
may want a DVD of their wedding
pictures. That’s great; make it. And
when you burn their DVD, make an
extra copy for yourself ... in case their
DVD gets scratched and becomes
unreadable. Or, if you’re feeling
generous, offer the newlyweds a
special deal on two DVDs!
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Stop! Okay, I know the title of this tip is a bit dramatic, but I want to make an important point. When
you open an image in Photoshop, the fi rst thing I suggest you do is stop. Take your hand
off your mouse (or set down your stylus) and look at the image. Look carefully. Pay attention to
what you like about the image and what you dislike.
After doing this, you can think more productively about what tools and adjustments and
techniques the photograph requires.
Jumping into edit mode too quickly will ultimately slow you down in most cases. Not thinking
things through often results in a need to either start over or go back several steps to get it right.
Here is one before-and-after example. Thinking about cropping, boosting saturation and using
Levels before getting to work helped me visualize the end result ... and get to it (somewhat) effi ciently.
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Learn Camera RAWSome wedding photographers shoot only JPEGs—mostly for speed, because writing RAW fi les
to a card takes longer than JPEGs. Working on RAW fi les is also more time consuming.
So JPEG photographers are pleased with their results, as are their clients … if the exposures are
right on! If JPEG images are over- or underexposed, detail can be lost forever in the highlight and
shadow areas, respectively.
RAW fi les are more forgiving than JPEGs when it comes to exposure. That is, details in highlight
and shadow areas of RAW fi les can usually be rescued with Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) or Adobe
Lightroom or Apple Aperture. All of these products offer tools to expertly fi ne tune RAW fi les.
The ACR window, which changes to reveal even more options as you click through the adjustment
tabs, offers all the basic adjustments a wedding photographer (and any photographer, for that
matter) could hope for. With it, you end up with images that not only have better exposure, but
also are more creative, more dramatic and unique than without it.
Simply put, RAW processing is a very powerful image-editing tool. As you’ll see in the following
section, it can even enable you to do things in Photoshop like change the direction of light in a
scene. How cool is that?!
Attention JPEG shooters. Good news! You can process your photographs in ACR, too; although
you’ll still be working with a fi le that has less information than a RAW fi le. In Photoshop, go to
File > Open and choose Camera RAW as the Format. Your image will open in ACR and you’ll be
able to begin adjusting your image with this program.
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Understand Image Resolution Understanding image resolution is an essential part of being a photographer. The bride and
groom will likely have no clue about fi le size and resolution issues. Why would they? It’s up to you
to determine the correct image resolution, so your clients get the photographs they’re hoping for.
My advice is to save a copy of each fi le at its highest resolution. That way, the couple can choose
to have a BIG print made without a loss in detail. What’s more, if they want to print only part of
an image, you’ll have more pixels available to create that print.
For an 8x10-inch print and other standard album sizes, an image resolution of 360 PPI at the
print size is suffi cient.
If you make a print at too low of a resolution, your image will look pixilated, as shown in the image
on the right.
For web sites, which typically accommodate images around 4x5 inches, a resolution of 100 PPI
at the image size is fi ne.
To change the size of an image, go to the Image Size window. When upsizing, choose Bicubic
Smoother; choose Bicubic Sharper when downsizing. These settings will give you the best results.
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Love those LayersThe layers function is perhaps the most important aspect of Photoshop for the creative
photographer. What is a layer? Well, think of a layer cake … In Photoshop, each layer is
a different version of your original image.
For example, you may have a Hue/ Saturation layer, where you boost the saturation of an image.
The Levels layer may show adjustments to the brightness, contrast and tones. Other layers will
handle other functions of image adjustment.
One of the main advantages of working with Adjustment Layers is that you can use layer masks
to paint in-and-out effects for selective enhancements. Another benefi t is that you can delete
a layer if you don’t like your adjustment, or you can go back and change it tomorrow …
or years from now.
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Save ItAfter creating a fi le that contains several layers, you’ll want to save it either as a TIFF fi le, a PSD
or a JPEG.
When you save a fi le as a TIFF, all those adjustment layers are saved individually, so you can go
back and change or delete your adjustments at a later date. Just keep in mind that TIFF fi les and
PSD fi les take up more space on your hard drive than JPEGs.
When you save a fi le as a JPEG, you fl atten the image and consolidate the fi le. Your layers are lost
forever when the fi le becomes a JPEG, but this is an ideal format for images you deliver to clients
who want to post their wedding pictures online, e-mail them and/ or create a digital slideshow on
DVD. Given their smaller fi le size, JPEGs are best for these electronic applications.
Before printing, you’ll also want to fl atten your images by saving them as JPEGs to minimize fi le
size and decrease printing time.
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Think and Work SelectivelyThinking and working selectively on an image is an important part of the creative Photoshop
process. Many times you want to sharpen, lighten or darken only part of an image. That
is thinking selectively.
Working selectively involves working on only those areas. You can do that easily when you create
an adjustment layer and use a layer mask. Some examples of adjustment layers and layer masks
are only a few pages away.
In this example, I selectively darkened the bride’s overexposed gown and then I sharpened it
(and her). As far as the background is concerned, you can see that I selectively lightened it.
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Get to Know OptionsThe Tool bar on the left side of the Photoshop window provides you options for adjusting your
image in various ways. Yet it’s the controls on the Options bar, located at the top of the Photoshop
window that helps you fi ne-tune your tools.
Play around with the Options bar, and you’ll see that your capacity for creatively using your
Photoshop tools is greatly increased.
One idea for learning about Tools and Options is to try learning a new one each day … or maybe
one each week. Give yourself time to absorb each new technique. In less than a year, you’ll know
as much as most pros.
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Master All the AdjustmentsPhotoshop adjustments can help you make virtually any change to a photograph that your heart
desires. But the sheer number of options can be a bit overwhelming at fi rst. What’s more, some of
them, like Levels and Curves, can get you to basically the same place but with subtle differences.
My advice is to experiment with all the adjustments on just a few images so that you can learn
how the adjustment works. Click on all those little fl y-out arrows to see even more options.
As with Photoshop’s Tools and Options, try to master one at a time … even though you will be
tempted to try to learn them all overnight.
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Sharpen Last All RAW fi les need sharpening,
as do some JPEGs. However,
it’s important to know
that JPEG fi les are already
sharpened when they come
out of your camera. The
saturation and contrast have
also been increased, which
I personally don’t prefer.
When you think about
sharpening an image, plan to
make this your fi nal step in
the image-editing process.
You want to sharpen last
because other adjustments,
such as Levels and Curves,
which need to be made early
on, affect image sharpness.
I like to use Smart Sharpen
(Filter > Sharpen > Smart
Sharpen). It offers more
control than Unsharp Mask
(Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp
Mask), which was the tried-
and-proven sharpening
method before Smart
Sharpen was introduced.
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Don’t Over Do ItIt’s natural to want to sharpen an image to make it pop with detail. It’s also tempting to boost
saturation for a vivid image. However, if you sharpen an image too much, it will look pixilated.
My advice when sharpening is to view the image at 100% on your monitor and gradually sharpen
it to your liking. Just don’t overdo it.
Another idea is to crop your image to show only the most important part of the scene. Sharpen
that part of the fi le and make a print. Check it out. If it looks good, it’s probably okay to apply that
level of sharpening to the entire image. Understand, however, that sharpening an image increases
noise in shadow areas more than it does in highlights.
As far as saturation goes, if you overdo it, you can lose detail in very saturated areas—such as
bouquet photos that include very deep red, yellow or orange areas. Here, less is often better.
Hey! Remember I mentioned thinking selectively a few pages back? Well, that goes for sharpening
and increasing saturation, too.
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Expand Your Horizons with Plug-insWant to have even more creative
control in Photoshop? I’m
thinking you do, because it
can give you an edge over your
competition and show your
clients you are indeed an artist.
Using plug-ins is an easy way
to achieve this.
Plug-ins offer artistic effects
at the click of a mouse or tap
of a stylus. They help you add
effects—such as changing the
lighting, color, grain, tone and
other aspects of your image—
that would otherwise take you
hours to create. They can be
downloaded from the Internet or
loaded to your computer via CD.
OnOne software (www.
ononesoftware.com) offers two of
my favorite plug-ins: PhotoTools
and PhotoFrame. Within
these two plug-ins, you’ll fi nd
hundreds of effects. Here I used
the Davis Wow Muted Colors in
PhotoTools and then applied
one of the camera frames on
PhotoFrame Professional.
Play with plug-ins. They range
in price—from under $100 to
a few hundred dollars—but the
time they’ll save you in digital
editing … combined with
the quality of your results …
guarantees the investment
will pay off.
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Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Part 9
Known as a Photoshop expert, I help other photographers
understand how to use this tool by providing seminars and by
teaching at Photoshop World and through online Photoshop
classes at kelbytraining.com.
I truly enjoy teaching Photoshop for three main reasons. One, it
gives me opportunities to help photographers enhance the quality of
their photographs by showing them how to correct (some) technical
mistakes. Two, I can help photographers motivate and encourage the
artist that lies within them. Three, it’s fun to play with Photoshop!
In this chapter, I’ll show you a little of each: fi xing, awaking and
having fun. And from a business standpoint, if you master a few
of these techniques, you’ll have more to offer your clients.
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RAW Rules Simply put: RAW rules.
A RAW fi le has a wider
exposure latitude (exposure-
recording and correcting
range) than a JPEG fi le. This
means, when working with
a RAW fi le in Photoshop (or
Lightroom, Aperture or your
camera’s software program)
you can rescue overexposed
areas of an image (up to one
f-stop). Many photographers
(including me) shoot only
RAW fi les and process their
images in Adobe Camera RAW
(ACR), which has many image-
processing options.
But wait! Even if you shoot
JPEGs, you can take advantage
of ACR by going to File > Open
and then choosing Camera
RAW as the format. You won’t
be able to rescue highlights
as well on JPEGS as you can
on RAW fi les, but you will fi nd
many creative and correction
options at your fi ngertips in
ACR for JPEGs.
So while this section is focused
on Photoshop adjustments and
enhancements, ACR is a good
place to start for standard
image adjustments.
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The Camera RAW dialog
is where the magic of
image adjustment takes
place. Experiment with
the Tool bar at the top
of the window. As in
Photoshop, ACR provides
many tools for enhancing
and correcting your
images. On the right side
of the window are the
Adjustment panels. Basic
is shown here, and it’s
suffi cient for making most
of your adjustments.
After you play around with Basic adjustments, click
the tabs for Tone Curve, Detail, Lens Correction and
HSL/ Grayscale for even more fi ne-tuning capabilities.
Sure, all this takes time, but when you really need to
fi x an image, RAW rules.
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Save the Bridal Gown
Don’t get down over seemingly lost detail in a bride’s gown. Use Photoshop’s Shadows/
Highlights to easily rescue those beautiful details.
One of the last things you want to do as a wedding photographer is disappoint the bride with
a photograph that does not show all the gorgeous detail in her gown. That can easily happen
when you are shooting fast and/ or don’t set your exposure properly. The fi x is to
use Shadows/ Highlights.
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Step 1: Open your document and
reveal the Layers panel. Click (and don’t
release) on the background layer and
then hold down the Control key. That
brings up the Layers Properties dialog.
Select Convert to Smart Object. You
do this for two reasons. One, you don’t
want to use the Shadows/ Highlights
adjustment directly on your original fi le.
Two, this process lets you use Shadows/
Highlights as you would use a layer
mask—on which you can mask in and
out an adjustment or effect. How cool!
Step 2: Next, go to Image >
Adjustment > Shadows/ Highlights.
Step 3: Tone down the highlights by moving the Highlight
slider to the right. Move it just far enough so that the
details in the bride’s gown are revealed. Don’t worry about
how the bride looks! At this point, she may look a bit off
color and incorrectly exposed. That will be corrected later.
Step 4: In your Layers panel, you’ll see that a layer mask has been
applied to your image (because you converted the image to a Smart
Object). Here is how to mask that effect.
First, set black as your foreground color in the Color Picker, located
at the bottom of the Tool bar. Select a soft-edge brush. Click on the
Smart Filter mask in the Layer’s panel and mask out (paint over) the
areas of the image, including the bride and other areas that you don’t
want affected by your adjustment.
If you mask out part of the bride’s gown accidentally, press
the X key on your keyboard. This will change the foreground color
from black to white and vice versa. Then paint back
in the effect.
Voilá! No more disappointed brides, thanks to this
easy-to-use adjustment.
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The headliner of a wedding is the bride. At least that’s the case for most weddings!
You can quickly and easily draw more attention to the bride in a photograph by
darkening the edges of the image. Hey, it’s what the Renaissance painters did when
they wanted the viewer’s attention to be focused on a specifi c subject.
The technique is to create a quick vignette.
Draw More Attention to the Subject
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Step 1: Open your fi le and go to
Filter > Distort > Lens Correction.
Step 2: Uncheck the Show Grid box
at the bottom of the dialog, so you can
see what the heck you’re doing!
Step 3: Move the vignette sliders to the left
until you are pleased with the effect.
Optional Step: If the bride looks too dark after
you apply the vignette, use the History Brush
(on the Tool bar). Paint back the original
exposure by brushing over her.
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Often, when we look at an
image, we wish we had used a
different lighting technique.
Perhaps we wish we could
change the direction of the
main light. Or, maybe the
shot was taken outdoors when
lighting conditions were not
ideal. These issues are easy
to fi x in Photoshop.
The technique is to use
the Lighting Effects fi lter.
Change the Direction of the Light
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Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open your image and go to Filter > Render >
Lighting Effects. Don’t panic when that window opens.
There’s a lot going on there, but you only need to know
a few basic controls.
Step 2: Select Spotlight as the
Light Type. Other options are
available, but start with this
one. Grab one of the handles
in the Preview window to create
the direction and angle of the
light. Next, adjust the Intensity
and Exposure until you are
pleased with the lighting on
your subject(s).
It’s that easy …
and that much fun!
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Sure, there are hundreds of creative and corrective adjustments and effects available
in Photoshop that can help you make a client happy with the photographs you
deliver. But in your quest for client bliss, don’t overlook the basic enhancements.
Dodging, burning, cropping, sharpening and saturation are covered here.
Don’t Overlook Basic Enhancements
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Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
The photographer had a good idea here,
which is to pose the subject in a nice
setting—one with a fence foreground and
fl ower background. However … because the
fence is bright in the scene, it’s distracting.
Use the Burn tool, located on the Tool bar,
for a quick fi x in this situation.
Also, look closely and you’ll see that the
bride’s eyes in the lower image are brighter
than they are in the top image. To create this
effect, use the Dodge tool, set at a low opacity
(5%), to whiten just the whites of her eyes.
Eliminate unnecessary elements from
your image using the Crop tool, located
on the Tool bar. Although, when you crop,
be mindful of the image size. If it’s not a
standard format—8x10 inches for example—
you’ll need to make a custom matte if the
photograph is going to be framed.
Sharpen your image to give
it more “pop.”
To boost the saturation of
an image to give it more life,
use a Hue/ Saturation
Adjustment Layer.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
When you remove some sharpness from a scene, you also remove some reality. When some
reality is removed, an image becomes more artistic.
Use the Radial Blur fi lter to add a sense of motion—and an artistic touch—to an image.
Blur Reality for An Artistic Image
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Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open the image fi le
and go to Filter > Convert to
Smart Filter.
Step 2: Go to Filter > Blur >
Radial Blur.
Step 3: Select Spin, and play around with the Amount slider.
Don’t overdo it though.
You can place the center of the blur effect anywhere in the
image by clicking the center of the window and moving it.
Step 4: Go to the Levels panel.
When you converted the fi lter to a Smart Filter, you added a layer
mask to the fi le. Now, with black selected as the foreground color
and with a soft-edge brush selected, use a circular motion to mask
out (some call it paint out) the blur over your subjects.
Here is an important tip: As you move out from the center of the
image (the main subjects), go to the Options bar at the top of your
monitor and reduce the Opacity of the brush. The idea is to have a
smooth transition between the sharp and blurred areas of your image.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
How often have you wanted to selectively adjust the colors in an image?
Well, if you are like me, the answer is quite often!
The solution starts with a black-and-white adjustment layer, believe it or not.
Easy Selective Color Adjustments
175
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open an image and create a Black-and-
White adjustment layer by clicking on the New
Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers panel.
Step 2: In the Layers panel,
change the Blending mode
from Normal to Luminosity.
Step 3: In the Adjustments
dialog, click on the hand/
double-arrow icon.
Step 4: Move your cursor onto the image.
(It appears as a hand/ double-arrow icon.)
Now, simply move the cursor left or right
to adjust the tones found in the area on
which you are clicking. Cool, eh?
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Okay, so you come back from shooting a wedding with hundreds of RAW fi les.
You need to post several fi les quickly on your web site. Here is a fast and easy
way to convert all those super-large RAW fi les to much smaller JPEGs quickly
and easily—maybe even while you take a nap.
The Image Processor is your key.
Save Time! Use the Image Processor
177
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
If you use Photoshop, you can process fi les of folders without having to
access them through Bridge. In Photoshop, go to File > Automate > Scripts >
Image Processor and then follow steps two through four as described above.
Step 2: In the Image Processor dialog, follow
these steps:
1) Process the selected fi les from Bridge.
2) Choose a location for the folder with the
processed images (which should probably
be different from the folder that holds the
RAW fi les).
3) Select JPEG (or TIFF or PSD…or all three).
If you choose JPEG, choose your quality
setting and size setting. You can leave the
images at the same size or resize them.
4) Click Run… as long as you don’t want to
apply any Preferences.
Step 1: Open Bridge and go to Tools >
Photoshop > Image Processor.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
I am sure you’ve seen this cool effect in fashion, beauty and bridal
magazines. It shows the subject in color and the background in
black-and-white. Easy as pie!
The trick is to selectively choose which areas you want in color …
and which areas you want in black and white.
Mix It Up
179
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: In the Layers panel, choose a Black & White
adjustment layer. You can also go to Layer > New
Adjustment Layer > Black & White.
Step 2: When you create an adjustment layer in the
Layers panel, a layer mask is automatically added. Now,
with black selected as your foreground color, choose
a soft-edge brush and paint over the areas of the image
you want in color.
Step 3: Check the Layers panel and look for areas
you may have missed.
Step 4: Don’t tell your clients how easy it was
to create this effect…wink.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Most brides have a natural, beautiful glow. In Photoshop,
you can enhance that glow for an artistic image.
The secret is to use the Diffuse Glow fi lter.
Make the Bride Glow…More
181
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open an image and go to Mode >
Grayscale. Converting an image to a grayscale
image is not the best way to make a black-and-
white image, but it’s okay for this technique.
Step 2: Go to Filter > Distort > Diffuse Glow.
Step 3: In the Diffuse Glow dialog, play around with the sliders to create your customized
diffuse-glow effect.
Step 4: Click OK.
In just a few minutes, you transformed a straight image into a wonderful image that glows!
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
You probably noticed that some of Davide’s photographs have
a titled horizon line, as in this image. That’s done on purpose
to add more interest to a picture. It’s called the disequilibrium
effect, because it sets the viewer’s sense of equilibrium slightly
off balance.
Wedding photographers are not the only shooters who use this
effect. Fashion and beauty photographers use it, too, in order
to create more artistic images.
Here is how you can mimic the technique.
Create the Disequilibrium Effect
183
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: The fi rst step to creating this effect actually takes place during your photo session…
if you know then that you want to create this effect.
Basically, you need to compose your picture with plenty of “dead space” around the subject,
because you’ll crop out part of the image area to execute this technique. In the cropping
process, you don’t want to eliminate an important part of the subject.
Step 2: Go to the Tool bar and select the Crop tool. Crop the entire image but don’t
press Return. Rather, move your cursor outside of the image area. When you do, you
get a double-sided arrow. Swiveling that arrow tilts the image.
When you are pleased with the effect, press Return and enjoy this dynamic effect.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Light illuminates; shadows defi ne. That’s one of my favorite photographic sayings.
Shadows can make or break a picture. They can also turn a fl at shot into a much
more dramatic image.
Oh, you have shadow issues in your photographs? No problem to fi x them in
Photoshop when you use a few adjustments and change the blending mode.
Create Dramatic Shadows in the Studio
185
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Duplicate your layer by
going to Layer > Duplicate Layer
or by pressing Command/ J. Step 2: With the top layer activated, go to Image
> Adjustment > Hue/ Saturation. Completely
de-saturate the image by moving the triangle
on the Saturation slider all the way to the left.
Step 3: On the same layer, go to Image >
Adjustment > Brightness/ Contrast. Boost
the contrast all the way up by moving the
triangle on the slider as far as possible to
the right.
Step 4: In the Layers panel,
change the blending mode
to Overlay.
Step 5: Watch the expression
on your client’s face when
(s)he sees this dramatically
lit shot.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
No doubt that this bride has beautiful skin. But you don’t encounter that on every
shoot. Here’s a quick and easy method for softening skin while retaining details in
a subject’s eyes.
This is one of my favorite image-enhancement techniques—
made possible by the magic of Photoshop.
Soften Skin in an Instant
187
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open a fi le and
duplicate it by going to
Layer > Duplicate Layer, or
by pressing Command/ J.
Step 2: Change the
Blending mode to Overlay.Step 3: Go to Filter > Other >
High Pass.
Step 4: Don’t panic. Your image will look
a bit wacky after you apply this fi lter.
Experiment with the Radius slider. The
higher the resolution, the higher you
should set your radius.
After you click OK, press Command/
I to invert the image. This is VERY
important. After you press Command/
I, your image should have the desired
soft touch. If it looks too soft, reduce the
Opacity of the layer in the Layers panel.
Step 5: Add a Layer mask by clicking on the Add
Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.
With black selected as your foreground color and
with a soft-edge brush selected—set to Opacity
around 25%—carefully mask out the soft areas
over the eyes and mouth.
That’s it! Don’t forget to press Command/ I.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
The background can enhance or detract from the main subject.
At weddings, backgrounds are not always the greatest.
Enhancing the background is no problem in Photoshop,
especially when you use the Gaussian Blur fi lter.
Blur the Background
189
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Go to Filter > Convert for Smart
Filters (which allows you to use a fi lter like
an adjustment layer with a layer mask).
Then select Blur > Gaussian Blur.
Step 2: Blur the image until you are
pleased with the background blur.
Don’t be concerned with the blurred
main subject.
Step 3: In the Layers panel, click on the Layer mask and,
with black selected as the foreground color and with a soft-
edge brush selected, mask out (paint over) the main subject.
For a smooth transition between the sharp and blurred areas
of your image, reduce the Opacity (on the Menu bar at the top
of your monitor) as you move back and forth from one area to
the other. Start with the Opacity set at 100% when painting
over the main subject, and end with the Opacity set at 10% or
even 5%.
Of course, cropping a picture can help draw more attention to
the main subject, as can shooting tight and using a telephoto
lens set at a wide aperture for shallow depth-of-fi eld.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Your web site is your calling card—your portfolio and best
sales tool. Dress up your images and your site by adding cool
drop shadows to your images.
Drop shadows are easy to create when you use Layer Styles.
Dress Up your Web Site with Drop Shadows
191
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open an image fi le and go to Image > Canvas Size. Add an inch or two to the size of your
image. The size really does not matter at this point.
Step 2: Go to Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow. Move the slider
to the left to create your own custom drop shadow. Click OK.
Your image will appear to be fl oating on the page!
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Want to do a nice favor for your clients…or maybe make a
few extra bucks? Create a nice thank you e-card for them.
Adding text to an image is easy in Photoshop.
Create a Thank You e-Card Template
193
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open an image and select
the Type tool in the Tool bar.
Step 2: Select the color of
your text by clicking on the Set
Foreground Color icon at the
bottom of the Tool bar.
Step 3: In the Menu bar at the
top of your monitor, select the
typeface. Here, I chose Apple
Chancery.
Step 4: Also on the Menu bar,
choose the size of your type.
Step 5: Type your message.
You can use different typefaces set at different sizes and in different colors (as I did here)
for different message lines in your fi le. Just hit Return after each line, and then select the
Type tool again for each new line. You can also place and reposition each line by clicking
on the individual type layer and using the Move tool.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Black-and-white images tend to look a bit more
creative and artistic than color images. That’s why
brides and grooms love ’em. Here is an easy way to
have the most control over all the tones in a fi le.
Create a Black & White adjustment layer.
Create the Best Black-and-White Image Ever
195
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open an image fi le. Go to Layer >
New Adjustment Layer > Black & White.
Step 2: In the Layer panel under
Adjustments, you’ll see your tone
controls along with a hand/ double-
arrow icon. Click that icon.
Step 3: Move your cursor (now
the hand/ double-arrow icon)
into your image and place it
on a tone you want to change.
Move your cursor from left to
right to change that tone.
This is a totally awesome
control, because you make your
adjustments live while working
on the image—not in the
Adjustments panel.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Since the early days of wedding (and portrait) photography,
photographers have been using vignettes to create more artistic
and creative images.
You can do this, too, by simply using Photoshop Vignette Action.
Create a Beautiful Vignette
197
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open an image. Using the
Elliptical Marquee tool on the Tool bar,
draw an oval around the main subject.
Step 2: Open Actions by going to Window
Actions. Click on Vignette (selection).
When you click on Vignette (selection), you get a pop-up window in which you should choose the
Feather Radius. A low setting results in a hard-edge vignette, as illustrated by the middle image.
A high setting results in a much softer-edge vignette, as illustrated by the image on the right.
As a starting point, use a Feather Radius of 100 when working on an image with a resolution
of 300 PPI.
Click OK. Voilá!
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
How cool! Thanks to Photoshop, we can add a sense of motion
to a still image, which adds more life and more excitement to
your photographs.
The Radial Blur fi lter is the secret to creating this effect.
Add a Sense of Motion to a Still Image
199
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
Step 1: Open an image and go to Filter >
Convert to Smart Filter.
Step 2: Go to Filter > Blur > Radial Blur > Zoom. Play
around with the amount. (I usually don’t go above 50.)
You can place the center of the blur anywhere in the
image by clicking in the Blur Center window and
moving the center of the blur.
Click OK.
Step 3: In the Layers panel, click on the Layer mask. Set black as
the foreground color in the Tool bar and choose a soft-edge brush.
Start masking out the blur over the subjects with the Opacity (an
option on the Menu bar at the top of your monitor) set at 100%.
As you move outward from the main subjects, gradually reduce
the Opacity. Your goal is to make a smooth transition between
the blurred and sharp areas of the image.
In the screen shot, the black areas represent the Opacity set at 100
percent, while the gray areas show where Opacity is reduced.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
How would you like to apply sophisticated effects to your images ... the kind of effects
top wedding photographers use? Well, most of them typically require a bizillion
enhancements, tweaks and adjustment layers—not to mention years of digital
darkroom experience.
But not with a Photoshop plug-in! Plug-ins are available via the Internet and on
CDs, and they dramatically expand the capability of Photoshop (and other plug-in
compatible programs, such as Lightroom and Aperture). After downloading, they are
usually placed in your plug-in folder automatically.
Dozens of these expert effects are available at the click of a mouse with Photoshop
plug-ins. Those that I use most often are PhotoTools and PhotoFrame. Both are
available through onOne Software (www.ononesoftware.com).
Above you see, from left to right, my original image, the effect of applying onOne’s
Light Ray and the effect of applying onOne’s 30’s Noire.
Here’s an idea for playing with PhotoTools: After you apply an effect, try fading it
(an option in the main window). Want even more creative options? Apply more than
one effect to a photograph.
PhotoTools and PhotoFrame Totally Rock
201
Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
OnOne PhotoFrame offers limitless custom digital frames ... in all shapes, sizes, colors, textures and
forms. Like in PhotoTools, you have total control of the frame you select and can place it around
your image how and where you want.
Here you see, from left to right, the original image, the effect of applying Emulsion frame (with a
white background) and the effect of applying the same Emulsion frame (with a black background).
Black and white, by the way, are only
two colors from which to choose for the
background. You can literally choose any
color in the rainbow to complement your
subject and to make your photographs
stand out from your competition.
Want more creative plug-in ideas?
Check out Plug-in Experience
(www.pluginexperience.com).
I started this web site to share the latest
and greatest plug-in info and to showcase
the artistic plug-in work of some of
today’s top photographers. You’ll fi nd
some nice discounts on plug-ins here, too.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro (www.niksoftware.com) is another of my favorite
plug-ins. The main window is shown above; it’s where you take creative control
of your image.
Color Efex Pro Plug-In
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Part 9 Photoshop Adjustments and Enhancements
To apply an effect, fi rst click it from the panel on the left. Then, for total creative control, adjust
and fi ne-tune the effect to your own liking.
Here you see, from left to right, the original image, the image with the Vignette Blur effect applied,
and the image with the Midnight fi lter applied.
You also have viewing options, including side-by-side, which you select at the top of the panel.
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Numbers 17-40mm zoom lens, 17
24-70mm zoom lens, 49, 65
24-105mm zoom lens, 17
50mm f/1.2 lens, 18, 65
50mm f/2.8 lens, 65
50mm macro lens, 18
60mm macro lens, 18
70-200mm zoom lenses, 19
85mm f/1.2 lens, 18
A accessories, digital dSLRs, 16
action shots, 101
adjustment controls, 156
Adjustment Layers, 152
Adjustment panels, ACR
(Adobe Camera RAW), 163
Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)
Adjustment panels, 163
digital noise post-processing, xxviii
RAW fi le editing, 150, 162–163
Adobe Lightroom, 150, 162–163
angle shots
disequilibrium effect, xx, xxiv, 77, 182–183
head shots, 49
image enhancements, 13
position variations, 73
unconventional approaches, 116
wedding cakes, 136
aperture priority (Av) mode
candid shots, 57
fi ll fl ash, 68
apertures. See also f-stops
environmental portraits, 89
portrait lens, 18
Apollo Speedlite Kits, 23
Apple Aperture
digital noise post-processing, xxviii
RAW fi le editing, 150, 162–163
artistic effects
Color Efex Pro, 40, 202–203
Diffused Glow fi lter, 39
disequilibrium effect, 182–183
Photoshop plug-ins, 159, 200–203
Radial Blur fi lter, 172–173
Vignette Action, 196–197
Ashton, Ulysses, 118
attendants, candid shots, 135
B back lighting, mood creation method, 59
background/separation light, 38
backgrounds
blurs, 54, 188–189
candid shots, 53
color changing, 38
creative effects, 98
group shots, 53
image enhancement, 12
outdoor weddings, 81
portable, 26
backward walking, photographer skill, 77
bending effect, fi sh-eye lenses, 20
Bicubic Sharper, downsizing an image, 151
Bicubic Smoother, upsizing an image, 151
Black-and-White adjustment layer
color adjustments, 174–175
color image combinations, 178–179
image adjustments, 194–195
black-and-white photographs, 48
blending modes
color adjustments, 174–175
shadow adjustments, 184–185
blurs
backgrounds, 54, 188–189
image adjustments, 172–173
motion, 198–199
body language, candid shots, 146
bride’s home, pre-ceremony shots, 9, 57–66
brides. See also subjects
candid head shots, 49
head-and-shoulder shots, 49, 66
honoring their feelings, 55
limo shots, 67
makeup sessions, 139
personality profi ling, 4
bridesmaids, photographer’s asset, 128
brightness, compression techniques, 78
Brightness/Contrast adjustment, 185
buffer size, digital dSLRs, 16
Burn tool, 171
burning, 170–171
burst mode, low-light conditions, 114
burst rates, digital dSLRs, 16
C Camera RAW
color tweaking, 47
image adjustments, 163
camera shake, reduction, 19
camera tilt, xx, xxiv, 77, 182
candid shots. See also photojournalist style
anticipating the moment, 134
aperture priority (Av) mode, 57
back lighting, 59
background blurs, 54
backgrounds, 53
backward walking, 77
black-and-white photographs, 48
body language, 146
brightness range compression, 78
children, 90
creative angles, 73
detail captures, 74
direct fl ash techniques, 69
disequilibrium effect, 76, 182–183
environmental portraits, 89
fi ll fl ash techniques, 68–69
fl ash permissions, 70
freeze frames, 101
full-length shots, 51
group shots, 79, 86, 100
head-and-shoulder shots, 66
heads, 49
indoor colors, 52
intimate portraits, 65
limos, 67
mirrors, 58, 62
night scenes, 103
off center framing, 76
outdoor weddings, 80–81
pets, 64
pre-ceremony, 9, 56–66
private moment captures, 103
receptions, 86–87
refl ections, 144
Rembrandt lighting, 60
scanning the crowd, 143
sequence shots, 92
shoes, 63
staying to the end, 91
telling the story, 72
three-quarters shot, 50
versus formal photographs, 46
wedding attendants, 135
wedding cakes, 84
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L, 83
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8, 83
Canon iPF6100, 32
Canon Pro 9000, 32
Canon Speedlite 580EX, 23
Canon Wireless Transmitter ST-E2, 23
catch light, eye illumination, 49, 61
ceremonial shots
bride and groom exit, 145
fi rst kiss, 9, 71
photojournalist style, 71
ring exchange, 10, 71
table placards, 10
wedding cake, 10
children
candid shots, 90
scanning the crowd, 143
wedding attendants, 135
Chilelli, Rocco, 108–109
chroma noise, post-processing, xxviii
Clone Stamp tool, 39–40
closeup shots
intimate portraiture, xxiv, 65
limos, 67
makeup sessions, 139
portrait lens, 18
telephoto zoom lens, 19
Index
205
Index
collapsible backgrounds, 26
collapsible diffusers, 27
Color Efex Pro, Nik Software,
40, 80, 202–203
color gels, background color changing, 38
color images
black-and-white image combinations,
178–179
black-and-white image conversion, 194–195
Color Replacement tool, 40
colors
background changing, 38
image adjustments, 174–175
indoor shots, 52
time-of-day variations, xxxi
white balance factors, 47
computer systems, 30–31
cropping, image adjustments, 170–171
D depth-of-fi eld
aperture priority (Av) mode, 57
portrait lens, 18
Diffuse Glow fi lter
artistic effects, 39
image adjustments, 180–181
diffusers
dedicated fl ash units, 21
panels, 27, 34
positioning, 34
scrims, 25
digital dSLR cameras, selection, 16
digital noise, ISO setting issues, xxviii
Digital Photo Professional, 47
disequilibrium effect
camera tilt, xx, xxiv, 77
creating in Photoshop, 182–183
distortion, fi sh-eye lenses, 20
Dodge tool
creative pose effects, 41
image adjustments, 170–171
drop shadows, 190–191
dummies (mannequins), lighting practice, 7
E e-cards, creating, 192–193
environmental portraits
location scouting, 117
wide-angle lens, 89
equipment
computer systems, 30–31
diffuser panels, 27, 34
digital dSLRs, 16
familiarization, 2
fl ash units, 21
hot lights, 24
lenses, 17–20
location test shots, 5
monitors, 30
portable backgrounds, 26
portable lighting, 140
pre-ceremony pictures, 57–66
printers, 32
rain covers, 80
refl ectors, 28, 34
Rick Sammon’s On-Location Light
Controller and Tote, 29, 93
scrims, 25
speedlites, 23
strobe lights, 24
tripods, 22
wireless transmitters, 21
exit shots, camera settings, 145
exposure compensation, fi ll fl ash, 68
exposures
client preference issues, 97
fi ll fl ash techniques, 68
highlights, xxv
RAW fi les, 162
eyes
brightening effects, 41
catch light, 49, 61
open pupils, xxxi
pet-eye effect reduction, 64
F face shots, nose profi ling, xxiv
fi le formats
digital dSLRs, 16
JPEG versus RAW, 150, 162
Photoshop supported types, 153
fi ll fl ash
creative uses, 94
exposure compensation, 68
indoor shots, 99
limo shots, 67
night shots, 103
fi lters
Diffuse Glow, 39, 180–181
Gaussian Blur, 188–189
High Pass, 187
Lighting Effects, 169
Radial Blur, 172–173, 198–199
Smart Sharpen, 157
sunshine, 80
Unsharp Mask, 157
Vignette Blur, 40–41
fi rst kiss, ceremonial shot, 9, 71
fi sh-eye lenses, selection, 20
fl ash
Apollo Speedlite Kits, 23
dedicated units, 21
direct fl ash, 69
distance (range), 69
exit shots, 145
fi ll fl ash, 67–68, 94
group shots, 87
in-camera, 87
indoor colors, 52
limo shots, 67
pet-eye effect reduction, 64
portable units, 140
reception shots, 86–87
wedding offi ciator permissions, 70
fl ashlights
shape photography, 115
subject illumination uses, 36, 42
focal-length lenses, versus zoom lenses, 17
foregrounds, sense of depth element, 75
frames per second, digital dSLRs, 16
framing
bride and groom, 75
off center subject placement, xxi, 50, 77
spatial depth, 75
freeze frames, shutter speed settings, 101
f-stops. See also apertures
environmental portraits, 89
lens fl are, 95
full-length shots, guidelines, 51
G Gaussian Blur fi lter, 188–189
gels, background color changing, 38
Genuine Fractals, fi le sizing plug-in, 96
glows, Diffuse Glow fi lter, 180–181
Gorillapod, low-level shots, 22
gowns
creative presentations, 131
image adjustments, 164
group shots. See also subjects
backgrounds, 53
candid photos, 100
creative posing, 10
fl ash techniques, 87
receptions, 86
subject separation effect, 79
H hands, subject positioning, xxiii
heads, candid shots, 49
Hecker, Kersten, 122
High Dynamic Range (HDR) images, 121
High Pass fi lter, skin softening, 187
highlights
exposures, xxv
RAW fi le, 162
high-speed drive mode, exit shots, 145
high-speed drives, low-light conditions, 114
histograms
exposure checking, 78
Rembrandt lighting review, 60
home computers, suggestions, 30
hot lights
selection, 24
studio-lighting alternative, xxii, 24
hot shoes, wireless transmitter
connection, 21
Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer
image adjustments, 171
image editing, 152
shadows, 185
I illumination angles, unconventional, 116
image adjustments
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Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
background blurs, 188–189
black-and-white image conversion,194–195
blurs, 172–173
burning, 170–171
colors, 174–175
cropping, 170–171
disequilibrium effect, 182–183
dodging, 170–171
drop shadows, 190–191
glows, 180–181
gown details, 164
lighting directions, 168–169
motion blurs, 198–199
quick vignettes, 166–167
RAW fi les, 163
saturation, 170–171
shadows, 184–185
sharpening, 170–171
skin softening, 186–187
vignettes, 196–197
image corrections
Clone Stamp tool, 39–40
eye brightening, 41
shadow/highlight adjustments, 78
image editing
adjustment controls, 156
copying images before editing, 148
edge sharpening, 166–167
layers, 152
RAW versus JPEG fi le formats,
150, 162–163
resizing images, 151
saturation, 158
selections, 154
sharpening images, 157–158
task planning, 148
image enhancements
angle shots, 13
natural backgrounds, 12
Image Processor, RAW fi le
to JPEG conversion, 176–177
image sharpness, zoom versus
focal-length lenses, 17
Image Size window, 151
image stabilization (IS), 19
images
copying before editing, 148
cropping, 141
edge sharpening, 166–167
High Dynamic Range (HDR), 121
off center subject placement, xxi, 77
pictures within pictures, 96
resolutions, 151
text addition, 192–193
viewing before editing, 148
in-camera fl ash, reception shots, 87
in-camera noise-reduction, xxviii
indoor colors, candid shots, 52
indoor shots, fi ll fl ash, 99
infrared (IR) light, 118
Inglima, Steven, 123
ISO settings
digital noise factor, xxviii
fl ash range, 69
indoor colors, 52
low-light conditions, 114
J JOBY Gorillapod, tripods, 22
Jodoin, Claude, 116
JPEG fi le format
color factors, 47
image saving, 153
RAW fi le conversion, 176–177
sharpening images, 157
versus RAW format, 150, 162–163
L Layer Styles, drop shadows, 190–191
layers
gown detail adjustments, 164
image editing, 152
Lens Correction adjustment, 167
lens fl are, image enhancement effects, 95
lenses
17-40mm zoom lens, 17
24-70mm zoom lens, 49, 65
24-105mm zoom lens, 17
50mm f/1.2 lens, 18, 65
50mm f/2.8 lens, 65
50mm macro lens, 18
60mm macro lens, 18
70-200mm zoom lenses, 19
85mm f/1.2 lens, 18
closeup shots, xxiv, 65
fi sh-eye, 20
focal-length versus zoom, 17
macro, 18
portrait, 18
prime, 114
telephoto zoom, 19
zoom, 17, 83
lighting
Apollo Speedlite Kits, 23
back lighting, 59
background color changing, 38
brightness range compression, 78
catch light, 61
collapsible diffusers, 27
dummy uses, 7
hot lights, 24
image adjustments, 168–169
infrared (IR), 118
key picture component, 3
lens fl are effects, 95
limo shots, 67
low-light conditions, 114
modeling lights, 43
natural lighting, 138
outdoor weddings, 80–81
overhead, xxxi
portable, 140
refl ectors, 27, 93
Rembrandt, 60
Rick Sammon’s On-Location Light
Controller and Tote, 29, 93
scrims, 25
side lighting, 102
skill development, 110
strobe lights, 24
studio lighting alternatives, xxii, 24
studio shots, 36–37, 42–43
synch speed factors, 7
three-light systems, 37, 43
Lighting Effects fi lter, 169
limos, candid shots, 67
locations
environmental portraits, 89
group shot background, 53
group shots, 10
natural backgrounds, 12
photographer suggestions, 142
pre-ceremony scouting, 117
pre-event scouting, 5
realizing your vision, 112
rules/regulation inquiry, 108
shot scouting, 137
low-level shots, JOBY Gorillapod, 22
low-light photography, 114
luminance noise, post-processing, xxviii
M macro lens, portraits, 18
makeup sessions, distraction elimination, 139
mannequins, lighting practice, 7
memory cards
digital dSLRs, 16
portable storage devices, 30
Midnight Filter, 36
mirrors, candid shots, 58, 62
modeling lights, subject illumination, 43
monitors, selection, 30
mood photography, night shots, 113
motion blurs, 198–199
N natural backgrounds, 12
natural lighting, 138
night shots
fi ll fl ash, 103
mood photography, 113
Nik Software
Color Efex Pro, 40, 202–203
Midnight Filter, 36
Vignette Blur fi lter, 40–41
noses, subject profi ling, xxiv
O On-Location Light Controller
and Tote, 29, 93
OnOne Software
Genuine Fractals, 96
Photoshop plug-ins, 159, 200–201
Options bar, Photoshop, 155
outdoor weddings, candid shots, 80–81
overexposures, RAW fi le, 162
207
Index
overhead lighting, xxxi
Ozegovich, Brian, 120
P panorama, image enhancements, 141
Perception and Imaging,
(Dr. Richard Zakia), xxxi
pets, candid shots, 64
Phillips, Norman, 110
PhotoFrame, 159, 200–201
photographers. See also
professional photographers
backward walking techniques, 77
camera looks both ways, xxx
equipment familiarization, 2
photography
envisioning the end-result, xxvi
making versus taking pictures, xxviii
photojournalist style. See also candid shots
ceremonial shots, 71
night shots, 103
realizing your vision, 112
refl ectors, 93
telling the story, 72
tripods, 103
versus formal photographs, 46
wedding photography approach, xxii
Photomatrix, High Dynamic Range
(HDR) images, 121
Photoshop
ACR (Adobe Camera RAW), 150, 162–163
adjustment controls, 156
Adjustment panels, 163
background blurs, 188–189
Bicubic Sharper, 151
Bicubic Smoother, 151
blurs, 172–173
Burn tool, 171
burning, 170–171
Clone Stamp tool, 39–40
color adjustments, 174–175
Color Replacement tool, 40
color to black-and-white image
conversion, 194–195
color/black-and-white image
combinations, 178–179
copying images before editing, 148
creative pose effects, 41
Crop tool, 171
cropping, 170–171
Diffuse Glow fi lter, 39, 180–181
disequilibrium effect, 182–183
Dodge tool, 41, 171
dodging, 170–171
drop shadows, 190–191
e-cards, 192–193
gown detail adjustments, 164
Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer, 171
image edge sharpening, 166–167
image edit planning, 148
image editing controls, 88
Image Processor, 176–177
image resolutions, 151
layers, 152
Lens Correction adjustment, 167
Lighting Effects fi lter, 169
motion blurs, 198–199
Options bar, 155
plug-ins, 159, 200–203
quick vignettes, 166–167
Radial Blur fi lter, 172–173
RAW fi le editing, 150, 162–163
resizing images, 151
saturation, 158, 170–171
selection editing, 154
shadow adjustments, 184–185
shadow/highlight adjustments, 78
sharpening, 157–158, 170–171
skin softening, 186–187
Smart Sharpen fi lter, 157
supported fi le formats, 153
three-in-one images, 92
Tool bar, 155
Unsharp Mask, 157
Vignette Action, 196–197
PhotoTools, artistic effects, 159, 200–201
Plauché, Scott, 111
plug-ins, Photoshop, 159, 200–203
portable backgrounds, selection, 26
portable computers, 30
portable lighting, 140
portraits
24-105mm zoom lens, 17
closeup shots, xxiv, 65
environmental shots, 89
head shots, 49
head-and-shoulder shots, 49
intimate shots, 65
lens selection suggestions, 18
pets, 64
poses
angle shots, 13
creative effects, 41
creative group shots, 10
prime lenses, low-light conditions, 114
printers, 32
printing, fi le size, 151
professional photographers.
See also photographers
anticipating the moment, 134
blending in, 129
body language, 146
Brian Ozegovich, 120
calming infl uence, 126
Claude Jodoin, 116
composition techniques, 120
creative angles, 136
creative situation recognition, 123
creative thinking, 131
Dan Wagner, 115
exit shots, 145
follow your heart, 122
friendly attitude, 108, 130
Gavin Seim, 121
High Dynamic Range (HDR) images, 121
infrared (IR) light, 118
John D. Williamson, 117
Kersten Hecker, 122
lighting, 110
location scouting, 117, 137
location suggestions, 142
low-light photography, 114
makeup sessions, 139
natural lighting, 138
night shots, 113
Norman Phillips, 110
open-eye shooting, 137
persuasive demeanor, 127
portable lighting, 140
refl ections, 144
Rocco Chilelli, 108–109
scanning the crowd, 143
Scott Plauché, 111
Shane Snider, 119
Shannon Smith, 114, 133–146
shape incorporation, 115
shoot beyond the clichés, 119
Stephanie Smith, 107, 112–113, 125–131
Steven Inglima, 123
trusting you instincts, 132
Ulysses Ashton, 118
unconventional approaches, 116
vision realization, 112
weather conditions, 109
wedding attendant focus, 135
PSD fi le format, 153
Q quick vignettes, image adjustments, 166–167
R Radial Blur fi lter, 198–199
rain covers, 80
RAW fi le format
JPEG format conversion, 176–177
sharpening images, 157
versus JPEG format, 150, 162–163
receptions
anticipating the moment, 134
children’s photography, 90
fl ash exposures, 87
group shots, 86
portable lighting, 140
private moment captures, 103
staying to the end, 91
red eye, pets, 64
refl ections, candid shots, 144
refl ectors
limo shots, 67
photojournalist style, 93
positioning, 34
selection, 28
Rembrandt lighting, 60
remote fl ash, wireless transmitters, 21, 23
resolutions, fi le save suggestions, 151
208
Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
Rick Sammon’s Digital Photography Secrets,
(Rick Sammon), xxxi
Rick Sammon’s On-Location Light
Controller and Tote, 29, 93
ring exchange, ceremonial shots, 71
S Sammon, Rick, (Rick Sammon’s Digital
Photography Secrets), xxxi
saturation, 158, 170–171
scrims, 25
sensors, digital dSLRs, 16
separation/background light, 38
sequence shots, photojournalist style, 92
Shadow/Highlight adjustment
gown details, 164
Photoshop, 78
shadows
drop shadows, 190–191
image adjustments, 184–185
sense of depth element, 75
shapes, photo incorporation, 115
sharpening image
adjustments, 170–171
edges, 166–167
editing, 157–158
sharpness, zoom versus focal-length
lenses, 17
shoes, photographing, 63
shooting styles, photojournalist-type versus
studio-type approach, xxii
shutter speeds
freeze frames, 101
low-light conditions, 114
portrait lens, 18
side lighting, 102
skin, softening, 186–187
Smart Sharpen fi lter, 157
Smith, Shannon, 114, 133–146
Smith, Stephanie, 107, 112–113, 125–131
Snider, Shane, 119
spatial depth, framing element, 75
speedlites, Apollo Speedlite Kits, 23
Seim, Gavin, 121
strobe lights
selection suggestions, 24
studio shots, 37
studio-lighting alternative, xxii, 24
studio style
creative pose effects, 41
painting with light, 36, 42
point-and-shoot techniques, 6
three-light systems, 37, 43
three-shot sequences, 39
wedding photography approach, xxii
subjects. See also brides; group shots
body language, 146
calming infl uence, 126
capturing magic moments, 111
closeup shots, xxiv, 65
comfort, 13
friendly attitude, 130
group shots, 10
hand positioning, xxiii
location suggestions, 142
nose profi ling, xxiv
off center framing, xxi, 50, 77
overhead lighting, xxxi
painting with light, 36, 42
persuasive demeanor, 127
putting at ease, 49
refl ections, 144
Rembrandt lighting, 60
sense of depth effect, 75
wedding cakes, 84
sunshine fi lter, Color Efex Pro, 80
sync speeds
digital dSLRs, 16
fl ash units, 21
lighting factors, 7
T table placards, ceremonial shots, 10
telephoto lenses
background blurs, 54
closeup shots, xxiv
group shot backgrounds, 53
selection suggestions, 19
test shots, location scouting, 5
text editing, e-cards, 192–193
three-in-one images, sequence shots, 92
three-light systems, studio shots, 37, 43
three-quarters shots, guidelines, 50
through the lens (TTL), 68
TIFF fi le format, image saving, 153
time-of-day, color variations, xxxi
Tool bar, Photoshop, 155
tripods
photojournalist style, 103
selection suggestions, 22
Type tool, e-cards, 192–193
U Unsharp Mask, 157
V veils, head-and-shoulder shots, 66
Vignette Action, 196–197
Vignette Blur fi lter, 40–41
vignettes
artistic effects, 196–197
image adjustments, 166–167
W Wagner, Dan, 115
weather
adapting to conditions, 109
outdoor weddings, 80–81
Web pages
drop shadows, 190–191
fi le size suggestions, 151
Web sites
831 Photography, 112, 125
Camelot Photography Studios, Inc., 108
Canon, 123
Claude Jodoin, 116
Dan Wagner, 115
Gavin Seim, 121
High Dynamic Range (HDR) images, 121
iLab, xxxi
JOBY, 22
John D. Williamson, 117
Kerstin Hecker Photography, 122
Mpix, 33
Nik Software, 36, 202
Norman Phillips, 110
OnOne Software, 96, 159, 200
Park Avenue Studio, 120
Photomatrix, 121
Scott Plauché, 110
Shane Snider Photography, 119
Ulysses Photography, 118
Vered Koshlano, 35
Westcott, xxii, 23
wedding attendants, candid shots, 135
wedding cake
ceremonial shots, 10
creative angles, 136
pre-cutting shots, 84
wedding offi ciator
fl ash use permissions, 70
rules/regulation inquiry, 108
wedding ring(s), ceremonial shots, 10
Westcott Scrim Jim, diffused lighting, 25
white balance
color factor, 47
indoor colors, 52
white cards, dedicated fl ash units, 21
wide-angle lens
closeup shots, xxiv
environmental portraits, 89
wide-angle shots, 17-40mm zoom lens, 17
Williamson, John D., 117
windows, Rembrandt lighting, 60
wireless transmitters, fl ash units, 21
Z Zakia, Dr. Richard,
(Perception and Imaging), xxxi
zoom lens
closeup shots, xxiv, 65
head shots, 49
intimate portraits, 65
selection suggestions, 17, 19
versus focal-length lenses, 17
wedding photography, 83